After rallying down nine in the second half and going through a back-and-forth final quarter, the Bearcats came up just short on Saturday night. Beavers guard Jackson Gabbard sank the game-winning basket with three seconds to go, lifting them to a 52-50 Class 2A District 4 quarterfinal triumph at home.
The sophomore took the ball coast-to-coast for the clincher. W.F. West (8-15) had a chance from half court, but Fox Rogerson’s heave was off the mark. Hayden Rooney launched a triple with three minutes to go that put the Bearcats in front, then made a shot off a feed from Wyatt Hoffman to tie the game at 50.
W.F. West, down 30-21 to start the final two frames, opened the third with a 9-0 spree and eventually went into the fourth tied up at 36 apiece. The Bearcats will take on Washougal in an elimination game on Tuesday in Ridgefield.
