WOODLAND — Swarming on defense and attacking the boards, Tumwater rolled Washougal 69-37 in the District IV girls’ basketball third-place game on Saturday afternoon at Woodland High School, ending the Panthers’ 2A title defense a game shy of the state tournament.
Tumwater’s length and speed on defense offered a challenge for Washougal, cutting off drives in the paint and forcing turnovers. The Thunderbirds forced five steals in the first quarter alone and 16 in the game, using those opportunities to get out in transition.
Tumwater opened up a 16-5 lead in the first six minutes and led 31-13 midway through the second quarter, with sophomore forward Natalie Sumrok picking up 11 points in the stretch and the Thunderbirds defense limiting Washougal to just six field goals, almost all on contested lay-ins.
Washougal continued to struggle to find open looks in the second half, and missed many of the chances it did get, as Tumwater continued to pull away. The Thunderbirds led 49-27 at the end of the third quarter and built a 63-31 lead with two minutes to play before Washougal started fouling to extend the game.
