TENINO — Early in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, the Tenino Beavers were tied with Elma in a neck-and-neck affair.
The Beavers had led throughout most of the game, but the Eagles weren’t going away, and it seemed as if they were finally set to take control of the game in the final eight minutes.
Instead, Noah Schow went to work, scoring nine points in a flurry to break the game open and give Tenino a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The Beavers topped Elma 55-43 to clinch the Evergreen league title, their first since the 2012-13 season.
In the moments following the game, Tenino coach Ryan Robertson watched as each of his players, including Schow, made their way up a ladder to cut off a piece of the net hanging from one of the hoops.
“I’m just proud of the overall effort,” Robertson said. “Their commitment to one another, their commitment to us, and how we’re together. That’s what matters the most to me. We’re building that together. Tonight, we won. But it’s about the whole journey we’re on, and we’re not done yet.”
As he has all season, Schow led the way offensively. His dominant stretch in the fourth was the final touch on his masterful performance, as he led the Beavers (12-4, 7-1 1A Evergreen) with 33 points.
While Robertson was, of course, impressed with Schow’s ability to put the ball in the hoop, he was even more excited to note that Schow held Elma’s leading scorer, Cason Seaberg, to just three points.
“That guy (Seaberg) is freaking good,” Robertson said. “And he guarded him all night.”
Schow and the rest of the Beavers locked down the Elma offense, holding them to their third-lowest scoring output of the season.
As the game went along, both sides became more physical on defense, and the referees let them play, largely swallowing their whistles throughout.
“In years past, we wouldn’t have won that game,” Robertson said. “We weren’t that tough and physical. We didn’t back down, and I was proud of that.”
As tough as the Beavers made things for Elma offensively, the Eagles returned the favor for the first three quarters, holding them to just 34 points. Outside of Schow, three Beavers combined for 22 points.
“We still can get some more polish on offense ,” Robertson said. “But as long as we play that hard, we got a chance.”
Austin Gonia put together a gutsy performance, fighting through an illness and nausea to drop a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“What an effort that kid gave,” Robertson said.
Jack Burkhardt added six points and 11 rebounds, while Will Feltus added four points and four assists.
As league champions, the Beavers have earned the right to potentially host two home games in the district tournament, including a winner-to-state semifinal.
Before a potential winner-to-state game, they’ll host a first-round matchup against King’s Way Christian, the No. 4 seed from the TriCo, on Wednesday, Feb. 7. In late December, the Beavers topped the Knights 64-48.
“Just happy with the whole thing,” Robertson said. “We gotta take care of business now.”
