TUMWATER — Sahara Anthony’s three at the end of the first should have been the momentum boost that carried Tumwater into the second quarter. He hit it with five seconds remaining to give the T-Birds a two-point lead after a back-and-forth, high-flying frame.
Instead, Columbia River’s John Reeder hit a buzzer-beater to take the momentum right back. The Rapids carried that into the second, taking control of the game with a dominant frame.
Tumwater never recovered, and the T-Birds walked off their home court for the final time this season with a 70-60 loss.
“It just got away from us,” Tumwater coach Josh Wilson said. “We just got sped up. We let the hype of them hitting some big shots and the momentum swinging in their direction get to us.”
That second frame ended up making all the difference. In that quarter, the Rapids went on a 14-0 run, and by halftime, they led by 13.
The T-Birds went nearly five minutes without scoring a point, a streak that was only broken when Reeder was given a technical foul with just under two minutes to play in the quarter.
Tumwater coach Josh Wilson said it was a simple lack of execution, as Columbia River’s top three players took over the game.
Wilson specifically mentioned Aaron Hoey, John Reeder, and Ari Richardson, as guys they knew they would have to hone in on defensively. Those three combined to score 46 points.
“You just gotta know personnel,” Wilson said. “We lost guys and put them in positions where they’re most successful. We really let them get to their spots.”
The T-Birds did what they could in the second half to stay within striking distance. When the Rapids went up 17 early in the third, Tumwater ended the quarter on an 8-2 run to get back within 11.
Down 13 with four to play in the fourth, the T-Birds went on another 8-2 run to get within seven with two minutes remaining. They never got closer than seven, however, as the Rapids iced the game with a flurry of late free throws.
“It’s something to hang our hat on moving forward,” Wilson said. “I really would have liked to have seen us put our foot down, but glad that we did better in the second half.”
Beckett Wall finished with a team-high 17 points and added five rebounds and two assists. Anthony finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals, while Jake Dillon tallied nine points and two rebounds.
Landon Anchors played a big role in the third, scoring all seven of his points in the frame, and Luke Overbay finished with six points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
The Thunderbirds (15-6) will now need to win two straight elimination games in a row to qualify for state, beginning with a matchup against Washougal on Tuesday in Centralia. A win there would put them in a winner-to-state game against the loser of the Ridgefield-Mark Morris semifinal on Thursday.
“Just gotta try to survive and play to the next game,” Wilson said.
