BATTLE GROUND — The Columbia River boys basketball team wants to put Saturday’s loss to Selah in the regional round of the 2A state tournament behind them.
But the Chieftains don’t particularly like what lies ahead of them in Yakima.
Selah used a 14-0 run at the end of the second quarter to build a double-digit lead, then kept River at bay in the second half en route to a 66-61 win Saturday at Battle Ground High School.
Columbia River (21-3) will face Anacortes at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in a loser-out game at the Yakima SunDome. If the Chieftains win that, next would be top-ranked Lynden, the defending state champion.
“When you win state and have everyone come back, I guess that makes you the favorite,” Columbia River David Long said. “I guess it’s like (Mark Morris coach Bill) Bakamus said: We have to take the stairs now, not the elevator.”
River and Selah went toe-to-toe for the first 12 minutes on Saturday when Nate Snook’s drive midway through the second quarter put the Chieftains up 24-23.
Then the Vikings scored the final 14 points of the quarter to go up 37-24 at halftime.
“We just had to stop turning the ball over,” Snook said of River’s second-half approach. “One moment the game was tied, and the next we were down 13. That really cost us.”
Long added: “The ironic part is this one of my best teams in terms of fewest turnovers per game. We just don’t do that.”
River battled back in the third quarter to get within 49-45, but then UC Davis-bound Elijah Peppers knocked down a 3-pointer to end the period.
Evan Dirksen’s basket with 37 seconds left got River back with 61-57. Selah missed four free throws in the final minute, but were able to secure offensive rebounds to keep possession.
“We just couldn’t get the bounces,” Long said.
Elijah Peppers, who missed most of the season with an injury, and his brother Noah had 23 points each for Selah.
“We knew coming in that Selah was not a No. 7 seed,” Long said.
It was Jack Armstrong’s job to make the older Peppers work for every shot he got.
“I thought Jack did a phenomenal job,” Long said. “Jack never came out, but then neither did Elijah. That was just combat all night. It was great seeing two great athletes go at it.”
Armstrong also added 15 points. Dirksen led the Chieftains with 17 points, and Snook added 16.
Now River is in the unfamiliar position of trying to bounce back from a loss. The Chieftains came into Saturday’s game as winners of their last 16, all by double-digits.
“We’ve just got to put this behind us, go to Yakima and take care of business,” Snook said.
Even if that business includes top-ranked Lynden?
“Lynden is one of the best teams in the state, regardless of size,” Long said. “But we’ve got to focus on Anacortes first. But this team has always been good at that: taking each game one at a time.”
SELAH 66, COLUMBIA RIVER 61
SELAH — Calvin Herting 11, Shad Smith 0, Wil Middlebrooks 9, Noah Pepper 23, Cooper Quigley 0, Elijah Pepper 23. Totals 24 (4) 14-21 66.
COLUMBIA RIVER — Nate Snook 16, Alex Miller 3, Evan Dirksen 17, Caden Dezort 5, Jack Armstrong 15, Marc Miranda 5. Totals 22 (11) 6-8 61.
Selah 14 23 15 14–66
River 11 13 21 16–61
