TUMWATER — There haven’t been any shortcuts the Black Hills High School boys basketball team took this winter, nor last winter.
They’ve scheduled powerhouses in Bremerton, the defending Class 2A state champs. They played higher classification programs in Mountain View, Evergreen (Vancouver) and Bainbridge. They took the perennial 1A headliner in SW Washington, Montesano.
And when it comes to the Evergreen Conference, the Wolves have taken care of business to be a top-two team in the league. It has earned them back-to-back district quarterfinal games on their home floor.
“We’ve played good teams,” Black Hills head coach Jeff Gallagher said.
Like many teams in the EvCo, their counterparts to the south have been on the right side of the scoreboard in the District 4 tournament. The Wolves’ latest stumbles versus the GSHL continued on Friday night.
Another cold shooting night and the inability to slow down Columbia River were the bug-a-boos for Black Hills in dropping a 60-44 verdict to the Rapids at home. It marks the second straight postseason the Wolves lost their tourney opener.
It’s been three years since Black Hills (15-6) has won a playoff game. It will have another chance to snap the skid in an elimination game on Tuesday against the loser of Ridgefield and R.A. Long.
With the district only getting three state berths, it will require three straight wins to be in the opening round.
“It’s not our first time we’ve faced this type of road,” Gallagher said. “It is frustrating, but you can’t dwell on it. I really had no issue with our effort, it was just our execution offensively.”
Both the Rapids and Wolves are up-tempo and the first quarter featured plenty of up-and-down action. Peyton Faught hit a four-point play early and a Talon Morrill trifecta put the latter up 9-7 on the former.
Black Hills never led again.
Columbia River used a 12-0 spree to lead by 10 and the cushion only reached single digits twice the remainder of the game. The size of forward Luca Phillips (6-foot-5) and the quickness of guards Alex Pont plus Chase Fitzwilson kept the Wolves on their heels.
Kellen Clary banked in a putback layup just before the first half buzzer to put the Rapids in front 32-16.
“The physicality was on both sides,” Columbia River head coach Mark Ganter said. “We had the horses inside that caused them some fits; we kind of knew that was how it was gonna be.”
EvCo Co-MVP James Morgan, held to just two points in the first half, single-handedly brought the Wolves back to within striking distance. He scored the final seven points in the third and nailed two 3s in the fourth to make it a 13-point deficit.
The junior forward finished with 19 on the night.
“It’s not even what he did, it’s how he addresses the team at halftime and after the game,” Gallagher said. “He is such a leader and kids follow him.”
Morrill made an acrobatic layup to make it an 11-point game, then Columbia River shut the door on a comeback with a 6-0 run. There were several no-calls that Gallagher and the Wolves side of the bleachers were far from pleased with.
Oh, and Faught left the game with his jersey on the bench and didn’t return. Gallagher declined comment on both instances.
Still, he did feel his team was on the verge. They never could answer a defensive stop with a bucket, or vice versa.
“We told our kids if we could get it to nine by the fourth quarter, we’d be OK,” Gallagher said. “Once it gets into the teens, it gets really tough.”
Ganter was adamant with the Rapids that “defense travels.” They collapsed the paint on drives and made plenty of 3-point attempts by the Wolves contested. Columbia River now will face the winner of Ridgefield and unbeaten R.A. Long in a semifinal on Tuesday in Woodland.
“One good thing: I have never lost in that gym,” Ganter quipped. “We’re all in on defense.”
Quinton Morrill added 13 points for Black Hills and Talon Morrill chipped in seven.
Regardless of opponent, Gallagher is hopeful for the offense to break out. At the start of the season, he figured this group would rely on the scoring and potent shooting from downtown. As of late the defense has been the catalyst in victories.
He’s now in game-by-game mode, where every contest is for the season to continue.
“I think we can defend anybody, but it is a matter if we can score,” Gallagher said. “You play against really good coaches and they know (how to) stop us in transition. As coaches, we have to (improve).”
