The last time Wahkiakum and Toledo faced off, the Riverhawks let the game slip away.
They led by as much as nine in the fourth and seven in overtime, including by four with just 11 seconds left, but a Kyler Sause 3-pointer in the waning seconds gave the Mules a comeback win.
The rematch, a 2B District 4 quarterfinal, was just as close as the first meeting between the two teams. But on Wednesday, the Riverhawks held on for a 53-43 win that puts them one win away from a state tournament berth.
“The guys just left it on the floor,” Toledo coach Grady Fallon said. “The guys totally rose to the occasion … I’m just so proud of these guys for believing in each other and how hard they played.”
As the final minute ticked away, the Riverhawks began celebrating on the bench, a celebration that carried over onto the floor as the final buzzer sounded and into the locker room moments later.
“It was the first time they get to feel that super excitement,” Fallon said. “I said before the game, ‘You will remember this game. This is one of those times in your life that you’re just gonna remember.’”
The Toledo defense made things difficult for Wahkiakum all night, as the Mules were held to their lowest point total of the season.
Sause, who burned the Toledo defense for 26 points the first time around, was a non-factor on Wednesday. He scored just five points, while fellow C2BL first-teamer Zakk Carlson led the Mules with 16.
It was clear early that it was going to be a defensive battle, as neither team scored in the first three minutes.
After Wahkiakum’s Parker Leitz hit a three to open the scoring, the Riverhawks (15-8, 6-7 C2BL) got rolling, going on a 14-0 run to take an 11-point lead into the second quarter.
That lead was erased almost instantly, as the Mules went on an 11-0 run to tie the game. After trading baskets, Toledo went on a 10-2 run to push the lead back to eight, but Leitz drilled another three at the buzzer to cut it to five at halftime.
The second half was even more back-and-forth, but things became more difficult for Wahkiakum offensively as the half wore on.
The Mules hit just two threes in the second half, and they were limited to eight points in the fourth quarter. By the end of the night, the Mules hit just 18 shots from the floor.
“The idea is to make them shoot more twos and get them out of their rhythm,” Fallon said. “We readjusted and stuck to our game plan.”
The Riverhawks also didn’t give the Mules many second chance opportunities, as Wahkiakum only grabbed six offensive rebounds.
It was a struggle for the Toledo offense as well, but they did enough late. With 3:04 left in the game, a pair of Rogan Stanley free throws gave the Riverhawks a 44-43 lead, and moments later, Kaven Winters pushed the lead to four with a lay-in and a free throw.
In the final minute, a flurry of free throws helped put the game away, and, more importantly to Fallon, they controlled the ball and drained time off the clock. The Riverhawks only turned the ball over 14 times, including just five times in the second half.
Cooper Fallon had the game of his life on the boards, hauling in 26 rebounds while adding 12 points. Stanley finished with a team-high 16 points, while Winters added eight and Trevin Gale tallied six.
Toledo will now have three chances to claim a state tournament bid with a win, the first coming in the District 4 semifinal against Adna next Wednesday, Feb. 14 at Kelso High School.
