Black Hills breezes to District 4 boys 2A quarterfinal win over Hawks – guess who’s next

Psychologists tell people not to novelize their lives, not to assume their story will inevitably reach a certain dramatic ending.

When it comes to the athletic rivalry between Black Hills High School and cross-freeway nemesis Tumwater, it’s sometimes hard not to believe the teams are playing out a script.

While the Wolves’ boys basketball team, ranked 11th in the WIAA’s Ratings Power Index, was busy running visiting Hockinson out of the gym Saturday night, 80-56, the T-Birds, ranked a spot behind in the RPI at 12th, were fighting to hold off host R.A. Long, 42-40.

Up next: A District 4 semi-final game between Black Hills (16-5) and Tumwater (17-4) on Tuesday at Rochester High School at 6 p.m. The winner is guaranteed a berth to the 2A state regional.

Little more than a week ago, Tumwater handed the Wolves their only loss of a 2A Evergreen Conference championship season for the second season in a row.

“I’m not shocked we’re going to see them again,” said Black Hills coach Jeff Gallagher. “We’re looking forward to it. Tuesday’s going to be a lot of fun.”

After missing a shot at the buzzer that could have tied a three-point loss to T-Birds on Friday, Feb. 7, the Wolves had eight days without a game to prepare for Hockinson.

“Some people don’t like that, but I kind of do,” said Gallagher. “It gives us a lot of time to get kids healthy and get prepared for who we’re going to play, a lot of time to work on little things we sometimes don’t have time to work on.”

Saturday, Black Hills grabbed the lead 15 seconds into the game on a fallaway jumper by 6-foot-6 junior Justin Hicks and never trailed or was so much as tied the rest of the way.

Hicks posted a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double while senior guard Avery Armin broke loose during the second half to lead the game with 23 points. As a team Black Hills was deadly from the free throw line, making 15-of-17, including its first nine and final six.

Hicks, who played only junior varsity last season, has looked increasingly comfortable scoring from inside and out, using his long arms to create turnovers.

“It’s been a growing process all year long. I’m just glad I’m on the team and helping us win like this,” Hicks said. “I’m definitely more comfortable. I’m developing as time goes on.”

The Wolves held Hockinson’s star guard, Micah Paulsen, to just seven points, a little less than half his team-leading average of 14.7.

The Hawks did get double-figure scoring from Dakota Souders, a 5-10 senior guard, who made four 3-point baskets on his way to 17 points, and multi-sport athlete Jeremiah Faulstick, also a tight end on Hockinson’s strong football team, who finished with 10 thanks to three late 3-point baskets.

The last time the game seemed winnable for the Hawks (7-14) was with two minutes left in the first half when a Souders three-pointer cut Black Hills’ lead to 31-29.

But Weston Ainsworth, who also reached double figures for Black Hills with 12 points, hit a putback on the Wolves’ fourth shot of their next possession just before Hicks came up with a steal in the open court and sailed in for his second dunk of the night to make it 35-29 at intermission.

Two threes by Faulstick late in the third quarter briefly made it a two-possession game, 50-44, but a 3-pointer by Hicks sparked an 11-0 Black Hills run that effectively ended it. The Wolves biggest lead was 26 points, 76-50, when an Armin basket finished off a late 9-0 run, enabling Gallagher to empty his bench in the final minute.

The game ended while the final seconds of Tumwater’s victory were still playing out in Longview. When the T-Birds win was complete, the Wolves thoughts’ turned to Tuesday’s rematch of airtight games earlier in the season.

Black Hills won 59-56 at home, the T-Birds triumphed 54-51 at their place. The Wolves won’t spend a great deal of time during Monday’s practice on a scouting report.

“We know everything they do. They know everything we do,” said Gallagher.

The players’ perspective is a little more emotional.

“We want to come out and beat them,” Hicks said. “We’re angry.”