CENTRALIA — The Woodland boys basketball team will have to figure out a way to forget about Tuesday’s loss if the Beavers are going to make it to the Class 2A state tournament.
It will be difficult, though, because they were so close to clinching that berth against Tumwater.
So close to advancing to the 2A District 4 basketball tournament’s championship game.
So close.
Instead, Tumwater came away with a 52-50 victory in the semifinals.
Woodland now must win two in a row in order to make it to state, with its next game coming Thursday against Aberdeen.
“It’s not over for us,” Woodland coach Jason Buffum said. “We live to see another day. We have to bounce back. We have an uphill battle. It’s doable. With our seniors and leadership, we have a good chance. We’re not going to call it quits.”
David Cooper, who went 9 for 9 from the free throw line, made two with 17 seconds left to break a 50-50 tie for Tumwater. Cooper finished with a game-high 23 points, leading the Thunderbirds to the district title game.
Woodland never got a clean shot off on its next possession. First, the Beavers did not find a shot to their liking before calling a timeout with 2 seconds left when they found themselves stuck in a tough spot on the court. Then on the inbound play, Jake Rosenbalm never gained control of the pass. He swatted the ball toward the net. The ball fell short.
Buffum thought there was enough contact from the Tumwater defender that a call should have been made. He also was not thrilled with Tuwmater getting to the free throw line 15 more times than the Beavers.
“They did a better job of drawing the foul, I guess,” he said.
He also noted the four lay-ups his team missed earlier in the night, adding that the team can look back at a lot of things that led to its defeat.
The game did not lack for dramatics. There were 19 lead changes, including 12 in the second half.
Rosenbalm led Woodland with 17 points. Ryan Sturdivan added 13 points. Tanner Froeber, who scored seven of his nine points in the second half, had six assists for the Beavers.
Froeber’s 3-pointer to open the fourth gave Woodland a one-point lead. Cooper responded for Tumwater. Then Froeber again. Then Cooper.
Tumwater would go up 48-45 midway through the fourth before Sturdivan cut the lead to one. Then after a Tumwater turnover, Rosenbalm got an offensive rebound and putback to give Woodland its last lead of the game at 49-48 with 3:15 to play.
The defenses ruled for most of the last three minutes. Tumwater got a free throw to tie.
Tumwater’s defense would force a five-second call on a Woodland inbound play. Later, the Thunderbirds got another free throw to make it 50-49 with 1:50 to play.
Rosenbalm tied it with a free throw with 57 seconds remaining.
A Tumwater turnover turned into a miss from Woodland, then Cooper getting a call as he was driving baseline with 17 seconds to play.
The game started at an impressive pace, with six lead changes in the first quarter. Woodland would eventually go up by five early in the second quarter, only to see Tumwater rally to go up four points. It was tied by halftime. Rosenbalm was 5 for 6 from the floor in the first half. The Beavers assisted on 10 of their 13 first-half field goals.
After making 13 of 25 shots in the first half, Woodland was 8 for 25 in the second half.
Buffum said just two more lay-ups would have done it for the Beavers. Instead, they must win two elimination games to advance to state.
TUMWATER 52, WOODLAND 50
WOODLAND — Bryce Mulder 2, Tanner Froeber 9, Ryan Sturdivan 13, Jake Rosenbalm 17, Troy Flanagan 5, Tanner Sixberry 4, Dillan Bonamigo-Wear 0, Hayden Huddleston 0. Totals 21-50 (5-14) 3-4 50.
TUMWATER — Ty Gentry 9, Cade Otton 2, Spencer Dowers 0, David Cooper 23, Weston Vandenhazel 6, Jacob Gibbons 4, Connor Duboiski 2, Logan Hedin-Baughn 4, Tyler Dowell 2. Totals 18-39 (2-9) 14-19 52.
