The W.F. West boys basketball team went toe-to-toe with Mark Morris for the first 20 minutes on Saturday, but the Monarchs pulled away to hand the Bearcats a 65-51 loss in a 2A District 4 Quarterfinal.
Grady Westlund’s strong start — he had 10 points and five offensive rebounds in the first — helped W.F. West build an 18-16 lead after one. Mark Morris was able to win the second and take a slim lead into the half, but the Bearcats continued to battle and led 37-33 in the third.
The Monarchs then flipped the momentum, going on a 12-0 run to seize control. From that point on, including the initial run, the Bearcats were outscored 32-14 throughout the remainder of the game.
Westlund finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds, flirting with another 20-20 statline, while Fox Rogerson scored nine points. Carlos Vallejo scored eight and grabbed six rebounds, Weston Potter scored five points, and Ross Kelley scored four and brought down four rebounds of his own.
W.F. West (12-11) will now need to win two straight in the lower bracket to make state, starting with a familiar foe.
The Bearcats will take on Black Hills for the third time this season on Tuesday in Centralia. The Wolves won the team’s first two matchups, first by four on Jan. 10 and then by 10 on Jan. 28.
