The first half was far from pretty for the Tumwater girls basketball team, but the Thunderbirds found their stride in the second half to come away with a 54-25 win over Rochester on Wednesday.
“The girls needed to see the ball go in the bucket,” Tumwater coach Nathan Buchheit said. “Once that happens, everything else starts flowing.”
That’s exactly how it went Wednesday. The Thunderbirds started out ice-cold from the floor, and Rochester took advantage, grinding out to an 8-2 lead after eight minutes. By halftime, it was still just 12-11 in favor of the hosts, with the Warriors thinking about an upset.
But in the third quarter, the T-Birds found their offense, which led to defense, which led to more offense. Tumwater burst out for 22 points out of the break, and finished the game on a 42-14 run in the second half.
“We were able to set up our press, create turnovers, and get easier buckets off those turnovers,” Buchheit said. “Once that happens, confidence builds, and things start to click.
Regan Brewer led the way on both ends of the floor with 17 points and 14 steals, and added seven rebounds and three assists to her line. Rhylee Beebe added 11 points. Kylie Waltermeyer, returning to the court for the first time since Dec. 20, pitched in nine points, Cierra Larson had eight points, four steals, and five rebounds.
Roisin Stull scored nine points to lead Rochester.
Tumwater is set to face Aberdeen on the road Friday, while Rochester will host Centralia.
