ROCHESTER — It was business as usual for Toledo on Saturday in Rochester, where the Riverhawks took down Toutle Lake 67-49 in the first round of the 2B District 4 Tournament.
Toledo ended up with a comfortable win, but Toutle Lake was the team that got off to a fast start. Just three minutes into the game, the Ducks led 7-2, and Toledo coach Grady Fallon called a timeout.
“We talked about that,” Fallon said. “(Toutle) will make a run. It just goes so fast, and it felt like we were in slow motion at first. We were just sluggish.”
The Riverhawks responded well, working the ball inside to Cooper Fallon to help facilitate the offense.
Cooper Fallon had plenty of success himself in the first half, scoring 16 points, but he also helped others find open shots by drawing double-teams. Conner Hill was one of the main beneficiaries, as hit three threes.
“I think they both depend on each other,” Grady Fallon said, adding that Eli Weeks also added a presence in the paint. Weeks got his open looks early underneath, and he scored six in the first half.
To open the second half, the Riverhawks went on a 16-0 run, pushing their lead to more than 20. The Ducks couldn’t recover, missing several open shots that fell for them in the first half.
Cooper Fallon finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and a block. The block, his 101st of the season, set a new Toledo single-season record.
He’s only five blocks away from the career record, and if he doesn’t break that record in the next few playoff games, he’ll have to wait until next winter to do it in his senior season.
“That’ll be in the back of his mind,” Grady Fallon said with a chuckle.
Weeks and Hill both finished with 11, and Weeks added six rebounds and six assists. Trevin Gale scored nine, while Adam Kruger and Tyce Vigre both scored five.
The Riverhawks (19-3) move on to the quarterfinals, where they’ll take on Ilwaco at Rochester on Wednesday. Grady Fallon said that he tried not to look too far ahead prior to the start of the tournament, but he knows it will take a good effort to move on.
