Centralia fell behind early and couldn’t catch up as the Tigers took a 48-45 defeat to visiting Aberdeen in 2A Evergreen Conference play on Wednesday.
“It was a struggle for us both offensively,” Centralia coach Doug Ashmore said.
The Tigers, who shot just 11 of 40 (26%), cut the deficit to five at the half but couldn’t complete the comeback. They were aided by 34 free-throw shots, making 21 of them.
“That kept us in the game,” Ashmore said. “The girls did a great job of attacking.”
Maddie Corwin and Makayla Chavez each led the Tigers offensively with 15 points a piece, with Corwin adding a team-high 16 rebounds. Rachel Wilkerson added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers trailed by three with 10 seconds left when Aberdeen missed two free throws, setting up Centralia’s final shot attempt, a 3-point shot that was blocked by the Bobcats in the final seconds.
“Proud of the girls,” Ashmore said. “We executed late in the game.”
Centralia (5-4, 3-2 EvCo) hosts Rochester on Tuesday.
