The Centralia College women’s basketball team survived a late push by Pierce on Wednesday, snapping a two-game skid with a 56-54 win.
The first half was as tight as they come, as a Meletava Fonohea buzzer-beater before halftime was the only thing separating the two teams.
Centralia (10-114-2 NWAC) slowly built on its lead throughout the third, and even pushed it to 10 early in the fourth quarter.
Over the next several minutes, the Raiders slowly closed in, getting as close as one point on two separate occasions late in the fourth.
They never tied the game, however, and Foai Pula hit a free throw with 12 seconds left to give the Trailblazers a two-point lead prior to the final possession.
They came up with a final stop on that possession, as Pierce’s Talia Spencer missed a potential game-winning three with two seconds to play.
“A dog fight the entire game,” Centralia coach Tiffany Twiddy said. “And we were able to close it out.”
Centralia at Pierce are now tied for second in the NWAC West, one game back of Green River and Lower Columbia.
The Trailblazers are now off for the next week and a half, and they’ll return home to Michael Smith Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 10 for a matchup against South Puget Sound.
