Trailing by as much as 10, and even by seven late, the Rainier boys basketball team found a way to win late on the road against Toledo, 65-59, Thursday night in a key Central 2B League matchup.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, but the Riverhawks held the advantage for most of the way until the Mountaineers pulled ahead late, thanks to some timely plays and offensive rebounds.
Josh Meldrum led Rainier with 25 points returning from injury, and Jared Sprouffske added another 14 with Gavin Owen pouring in another 12.
“They just didn’t go away,” Toledo coach Grady Fallon said. “They played hard. We just couldn’t put them away.”
The Riverhawks, meanwhile, did a nice job scoring the ball, but couldn’t get enough going on the defensive end to hold on to the win. Conner Olmstead scored nine points and had 12 boards, and Kaven Winters, Rogan Stanley, and Cooper Fallon each had 12 points, but it wasn’t enough.
“We were in it,” Grady Fallon said. “Guys played better than they’ve been playing, our offensive patience was good. Our defense just has to be better. We were disappointed but pleased about a lot of the good things we did. All of this is going to pay off in the long run, but we have business to take care of right now.”
Rainier plays host to 1A Eatonville on Saturday in a doubleheader while Toledo looks to rebound against Kalama on Tuesday.
