Tumwater boys seize momentum as playoffs loom, again handing Black Hills only 2A EvCo loss

Down by five points with a quarter to play, Tumwater High School’s boys might have given in to the thought Black Hills was too good, simply destined to finish the Class 2A Evergreen Conference season undefeated.

Instead, The T-Birds rallied to grab a 54-51 lead and defended a last-second shot well to, for the second consecutive season, hand the EvCo champions their only league loss.

“The win was huge for us and our confidence heading into districts,” said Tumwater coach Josh Wilson, whose team finished third in the league at 7-3, but had the best overall mark of any EvCo team during the regular season at 16-4. “It will reenergize us and recommit everyone to doing the little things.”

Damon Gaither, Tumwater’s 6-foot-7 senior post, led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Wolves while 6-3 senior guard Peyton Peterson scored eight.

“Damon’s had a fantastic senior season,” Wilson said. “He’s leaving his mark in the record books here at THS. Peyton’s love for the game is infectious. That’s been his biggest contribution.”

Tumwater had lost the first meeting between the teams, 59-56, last month at Black Hills.

“We did a poor job contesting shots. They hit way too many threes,” Wilson remembered. “Friday was the polar opposite. Guys had hands in shooters’ faces, they contested with a real sense of urgency.”

Black Hills coach Jeff Gallagher, whose team still won the EvCo title with a 9-1 mark, a game ahead of runner-up W.F. West, and was 15-5 overall, credited the T-Birds offense.“They were really effective in executing their sets. Gaither was huge for them. Very aggressive,” he said.

The Wolves, ranked No. 9 in the WIAA Ratings Power Index, will host the Greater Saint Helen’s League’s fourth-place finisher, either Mark Morris or Ridgefield, on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the District 4 playoffs. No. 12 Tumwater will travel to the GSHL’s second seed, either Washougal or R.A. Long.

Black Hills felt the disappointment of both losing to its rival and missing out, for a second time, on a perfect league season. But Gallagher said the Wolves won’t dwell on it with the post-season at hand.

“The bounceback started Saturday,” he said. “We had a great practice and our kids know this is the most exciting time of the year. District tournaments are special.”

Wilson also praised the recent play and overall careers of seniors Jaylen Clay, Gunnar Fields and Ethan Dillon as they prepare for their final trip to post-season.

“If we stay committed to defense, play with a sense of urgency and take care of the basketball, we’re going to be in great shape,” said Wilson. “I’m really excited to see where our guys will take us.”

In another first-round boys 2A playoff game, No. 13 W.F. West will host Washougal or R.A. Long on Saturday night. In District 4 girls 2A action, Friday’s match-ups are:

No. 13 Black Hills at No. 11 Columbia River; R.A. Long or Woodland at No. 8 W.F. West; R.A. Long or Woodland at No. 5 Tumwater. Each game begins at 7 p.m.

OLYMPIA BOYS FINISH STRONG, HOST MT. RAINIER IN 4A DISTRICTS

No local team had a bigger pre-season buzz than Olympia’s boys, with 6-9 junior University of Washington commit Jackson Grant in the middle and stellar senior guards returning in Kai Johnson and Ethan Gahm.

The Bears had a bit of a roller-coaster regular season, losing two of their first three before a signature victory over Battle Ground and its own Division-I big man, 6-9 Gonzaga-bound Kaden Perry, sparked a 10-game winning streak.

Only to see, as the cliché goes, Olympia lose two of its next three and drop out of the 4A South Puget Sound League title race despite two dominant victories over eventual champion Puyallup, 86-61 and 71-41.

“You don’t have a night off in the SPSL,” said Olympia coach John Kiley. “The talent is always there and the coaching is exemplary. We’ve been exposed to many offensive attacks and defensive systems.”

The No. 12 Bears (16-4 overall) won their last four regular-season games to finish just a game back of the Vikings and appear ready for Wednesday’s 7 p.m. home District 4 playoff opener against visiting Mount Rainier (13-8).

“We’ve improved consistently. When we’ve found cracks in the foundation, we’ve worked hard to fix them,” Kiley said. “All of our players have improved this season. Our depth is better, which bodes well for the post-season.”

Olympia’s girls also reached the District 4 playoffs under new coach Dustin Workman. They travel to Kennedy Catholic on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

TIMBERLINE LATE SEASON RALLIES LAND BOYS, GIRLS IN DISTRICTS

After opening the season with 10 straight losses, the Timberline boys might have assumed their season would be over by the time this Tuesday rolled around.

Instead, the Blazers went 6-4 during the second half to claim the 3A South Sound Conference’s fifth and final District berth. Timberline meets Stadium, fifth seed from the Pierce County League tonight at 6 p.m. at Washington High School in the play-in round.

Timberline’s girls met Bonney Lake on Monday night in the play-in round after staging a late season surge of their own, finishing 5-9 in league after winning only one of their first nine games overall.

The boys clinched their spot with a 95-70 rout of rival North Thurston last Thursday.

Brooklyn Hicks led with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, Jeshua Hardie added 21 points and Alex Wright 17. Logan Campau’s balanced effort added 15 points, 10 rebounds, 6 six assists and four steals.

Timberline coach Allen Thomas said moving Hicks, a 6-2 freshman, to point guard was a key change.

“His ability to make others better, to rebound and defend was big for us,” the eighth-year Blazer coach said.

Thomas also cited Hardie’s return from a mid-season injury and senior leadership on defense from Campau and Nic Ledoux. An increase in scoring from Wright and defensive focus from Cameron Hines also lifted the Blazers.

“We were able to bounce back once our players who had never really been on varsity before finally got much-needed game experience,” Thomas said. “They had to go through some adversity that built their character.”

Capital, which finished third in the 3A SSC, also reached districts and will host Spanaway Lake on Thursday at 7 p.m. Coincidentally, Capital also began its run to the 3A state tournament a year ago with a home game against Spanaway, winning 61-39.

YELM GIRLS FINISH REGULAR SEASON WITH PAYBACK ROUT OF CAPITAL

In every season, a team will have a “game that got away,” one the players believe they should have won, if only….

For the No. 14 Yelm girls, it was 68-63 loss to 3A South Sound Conference champion Capital on the road. The Tornados, playing without head coach Russ Riches, who was ill that day, grabbed a 17-point lead midway through the second half, but lost when Nicole Lindblom and Kyra Ashton hit huge shots for the Cougars in the final minute.

Friday night, they evened the score, handing No. 12 Capital its only league loss of the season, 50-37, in Yelm. Behind 23 points from senior guard Maddie Plevyak and 17 points and nine rebounds from junior post Bayleigh Harder, the Tornados led from start to finish.

Raegan Henry led Capital with 13 points while Lindblom and Kendall Hooper contributed eight apiece.

Yelm (15-5) met Lincoln of the PCL in a both-teams-move on Bi-District seeding game on Monday night. Capital (16-4) draws a bye until hosting an opponent to be determined in a Friday night quarterfinal.