TUMWATER — There’s a system the Tumwater High School girls basketball team wants to establish once the ball is tipped.
Relentless pressure, all 84 feet, for all 32 minutes.
“Now that we’re in a pivotal moment in the season, everyone is starting to trust each other,” T-Birds assistant coach Gabi Larson said. “That is the turning point.”
It’s been a season-long process of getting buy-in from the players. If Tuesday’s performance was any indication, Tumwater is seeing the fruits of its labor blossom.
Behind their full-court press defense and a dominant second half spurred by 13 straight points in the third quarter, the T-Birds blew out Centralia 71-44 at home to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the Evergreen Conference’s second seed.
Now 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the league, Tumwater is a win away in any of its final three games from locking up a home quarterfinal game in the Class 2A District 4 tournament.
“Everybody has worked hard at becoming a better teammate and (being) more selfless,” senior Cadynce Lee said. “It feels so much more like a family. That is one of the main reasons why we’ve already shown so much improvement.”
It’s been a turnaround league slate for the T-Birds, finding ways to win over the Tigers in the first meeting by four and an overtime triumph two weeks ago against Black Hills. After a non-league slate that featured blowout losses to Adna, Napavine and Spanaway Lake, they’ve been battle tested.
Even Lee admitted it proved to be more than beneficial, especially under a first-year staff led by head coach Dom Hunter.
“Those were definitely motivating,” Lee said. “If we were to play easier games, it would have been more of a shock coming into league (play). Our league has improved a ton.”
Still, there were glimpses of Tumwater putting things together. Larson pointed to the Montesano and Rainier games that it won by single digits. Outside of three quarters against W.F. West, the T-Birds have gotten the better of their league rivals.
No quarter was more one-sided than Tuesday’s third frame.
Maesyn Williams started with five straight from the free throw line, then Anden Demaris canned a triple to give the Thunderbirds a 10-point cushion. They never released their foot off the gas pedal with their defense and continued to force Centralia (11-7, 2-5) into empty possessions.
Lee canned two triples in the frame, part of her game-high 13 points.
“That’s what we want to be defined by is our defense,” Lee said. “It has kind of clicked.”
The closest the Tigers got in the second half was 12 on a small 5-0 spree. Without Brooklyn Sprague, who limped off the floor in the first half, they spiraled out of control and never could reel it back in.
“Chaotic and a lot of out of control play,” Centralia head coach Austin Danielson said. “Losing her really makes things more difficult. It took us a while to get out of that.”
For a good portion of the first quarter, it was sloppy on both sides. Centralia led 5-2 until Tumwater went on a 13-1 run to lead by nine. The latter upped the margin to 10 in the second, but never pulled away.
The Tigers answered with a 11-3 push to make it a one-possession game entering the locker room. They were able to get several offensive rebounds to extend chances and got out in transition aplenty.
Maddie Ahern posted a game-high 20 points on four 3s. Freshman Estella Bussanich was the next highest scorer with seven.
“She’s had some really good games,” Danielson said of Ahern’s night. “She plays her best against the toughest competition.”
Tumwater corralled the boards in the final two quarters and never let Centralia get comfortable. The scoresheet ended up balanced with Reece Brewer and Maesyn Williams each with 12 points and Anden Demaris chipped in 11.
“It was the best second half and the best fourth quarter,” Larson said.
Friday night looms for the T-Birds versus Black Hills in the second league meeting. There isn’t a lack of motivation from the girls that don the green and white.
“We’re ready,” Lee said. “Second is our goal and everybody is locked in.”
Centralia will host Shelton on Friday night, needing either a win or an Aberdeen loss to formally clinch at least the No. 4 seed and a pigtail district game.
“It is a real luxury as a coach to have a team where you're never worried about them quitting or giving up,” Danielson said. “Not a thought that has to cross my mind, which is awesome.”
