TUMWATER — A trip to the Class 2A boys basketball state regional round was in sight for the Ridgefield boys basketball team, yet in a turn eerily similar to two nights prior, the Spudders went cold at the wrong time.
W.F. West secured the final regional berth out of District 4 with a 48-44 win over the Spudders on Thursday night at Tumwater High.
A game-high 20 points from Soren Dalan, the Bearcats’ 6-foot-10 post, helped them take a lead midway through the third quarter that they never let go.
For Ridgefield, a 22-20 lead at halftime lead was met with caution. The Spudders needed no reminder of Tuesday night’s loss to Tumwater, a game that flipped in the third quarter during a six-minute scoreless stretch for the Spudders.
Thursday’s shift in momentum didn’t happen right away. Ridgefield’s Nathan Semlick hit a pair of jumpers to open the third quarter, trading two baskets with Dalan.
Then Seth Hoff’s 3-pointer gave the Bearcats a 27-26 lead. Dalan followed with an and-one, and the missed free ended in a Bearcats offensive rebound and layup.
In between two more Dalan baskets, the Spudders went scoreless for nearly five minutes. Just like that, Ridgefield faced a nine-point deficit heading to the final eight minutes.
“We had some really good stretches together, and then we’d take a 10-minute pause, six-minute pause,” said Ridgefield senior Henry Hughes, who finished with a team-high 10 points.
“That’s what lost us a couple games, but I feel like overall we played together, played good and solid basketball, just a couple moments here and there that messed it up for us.”
With only two bench players seeing the floor, Ridgefield’s starting five of seniors Hughes, Semlick, Ty Snider, Zachary Warren and junior Sid Bryant once again played heavy minutes against W.F. West.
Initially, that kept Ridgefield from cranking up its pressure defense. When the fourth quarter started, however, the Spudders had little choice but to take more chances.
It paid off on several occasions, such as a Hughes steal on an inbounds pass and layup with four minutes to go, cutting the Bearcats’ lead to five.
Ridgefield got as close as three points following a Warren 3-pointer with 25 seconds left. W.F. West then hit a free throw on the other end to make it a two-possession game.
“Those guys, man, (are) competitors,” Ridgefield head coach Jason Buffum said. “They came back and battled. No quit. It is what is, and I feel bad for those guys it’s over.”
W.F. WEST 48, RIDGEFIELD 44
RIDGEFIELD — Sid Bryant 9, Zachary Warren 5, Ty Snider 11, Nathan Semlick 7, Henry Hughes 10, Joseph Borgmeyer 0, Colten Castro 0. Totals 18 (4) 4-5 44.
W.F. WEST — Amoroso 0, Tornow 6, Plakinger 10, Hoff 9, Jones 0, Mallonee 1, Brunfield 2, Mathews 0, Dalan 20. Totals 21 (3) 3-7 48.
