Ilwaco senior captain Jaden Turner tries to dribble around a Columbia Burbank defender as brother Beckett Turner, center, and Sam Needham, both sophomores, position themselves for the next phase during action in Saturday’s regional game in Richland. Ilwaco lost 80-64, ending the Fisherman’s season with a 20-5 record.

RICHLAND — When the harsh buzzer began the sadness, 16 points flattered Ilwaco’s opponents.

For the record, Columbia Burbank won Saturday’s regional playoff 80-64 to advance to the WIAA 2B state championships.

The Fishermen lost in a cavernous Tri-Cities gym 145 miles from every 2B high school team’s pre-season goal: playing in Spokane in the first week of March.

Burbank edged ahead in the third and fourth quarters, and briefly was 22 points ahead, but Ilwaco kept reducing the deficit.

Pull Quote

‘We have put in a lot of good time as a group. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to.’

Jaden Turner

Ilwaco senior captain

“They were just better than us today,” said Ilwaco head coach Bob Enos, “but we hung in there … it was a little too late.”

Zeal

The first half reflected apparent parity. The lead changed 10 times as Ilwaco balanced Burbank’s somewhat ugly forays toward the basket with swift passing plays. Early on, the Fishermen were up 13-7, their largest leading margin. The Coyotes seized on three turnovers, and clawed back any deficits, often just seconds about being scored upon, and too often from 3-point range.

Gutsy sophomore Beckett Turner had the Fishermen fans on their feet with two aggressive defensive plays in the first quarter, which ended with IHS ahead by one.

Senior Joey Fitzgerald opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, pumping his fist before racing back to play defense.

Beckett Turner’s zeal was evident. On one attacking play, his 6-3 frame ended stretched flat on the court. Moments later he was up, surrounded by opponents yet jumping high to shoot from medium range to take the lead then, after Burbank’s quick reply, adding another basket after a good pass interplay with his teammates.

Halftime saw Burbank ahead 31-29. Nine members of the Ilwaco cheer squad put on a dance display, complete with carefully executed stunts. Senior leader Chloe Martin led the way, the entire squad mirroring her intensity as they yelled, kicked and raised their arms.

After all, their season was on the line, too.

Turnovers

Burbank led for the rest of the game, threatening to pull away in the third, and doing so in the fourth. Ilwaco responded. One play characterized senior captain Jaden Turner’s season. He took possession of the ball in the middle of the Burbank defense and simply dribbled through them all to the basket. The scoreboard read 49-47; closer, but still behind.

Somehow, about that time, and aided by 10 turnovers, the game began to get out of reach.

Sophomore Sam Needham subbed in, caught his own rebound and added points. Jaden Turner sank a 3-pointer. But Burbank added two at the buzzer to make it 60-54.

Defense

Eight minutes remained. A couple of errant passes were punished. Burbank took nine- and eight-point leads. The coastal crowd entered as sixth man. “Here we go. Ilwaco! Here we go!” At a timeout, Enos actually raised his genteel voice.

As the Fishermen trooped back onto the court, cheer coach Claire Bruncke’s squad spoke as one. “I-L-W-A-C-O Fishermen. Let’s go!” From the bench, sophomore Logan Kuhn roared for his mates to defend. “D-up! D-up!” he yelled, and the cheerleaders took up the cry.

Burbank’s talented freshman Quincy Scott scored with six of his nine 3-point attempts and was the day’s highest scorer with 28. As he stole the ball and raced down the court for a lay-in, Coach Enos looked up at the scoreboard. It read 70-57.

The game wasn’t over, but the season surely was.

‘Love’

Four minutes remained. Ilwaco tried. Once more, Beckett Turner was stretched out on the floor after a defensive wrestle for the ball. Sophomore starter Kyle Morris signaled for a sub and left the court clutching his head; resilient Fitzgerald was back on, playing his part.

The fouls, the free throws, the effort in that time remaining were a blur. At one point, it was 80-58 — that’s a 22 point lead. Jaden Turner went for a 3-pointer only to watch the ball hit the rim and curl away. But Ilwaco sweat reduced the deficit to 16.

At 59 seconds, a lone mother’s voice rang out. “We love our Fishermen!” Others took up the call, shifting into earned applause.

The buzzer signaled Ilwaco would trek 324 miles home while Burbank would gear up for its opening state contest March 2 against Adna, also a loser-out game.

Afterward, careful scorekeeper Hannah Hines totaled her penciled stat book while Enos took his squad back into their dressing room and closed the door.

Thanks

When he emerged to face the inevitable reporter’s notebook, Ilwaco’s gentlemanly coach took time to thank everyone who helped. Supportive family members — his wife, son and his father, a retired coach — were on hand for the game.

“I am really happy for the support from the community, the ASB and my assistants, and the kids accepting me as their head coach this year,” Enos said.

He pointed to 2014 — the year assistant coach Eric McMillan graduated from IHS — when Ilwaco boys basketball lost 19 games.

Things improved when Tim Harrell took over as coach with Enos as his assistant. “These guys were in middle school,” he laughed. His other two assistants, Brady Turner and Nate Needham, played key roles building the program, Enos said.

Ilwaco’s season began three weeks before Christmas with a winning visit to Willapa Valley; 19 wins followed. “We got Ilwaco back on the state map for basketball,” he said. “We were undefeated league champions, with a 20-win season. We made it to regionals, and we are 20-5. This is the only team we have lost to by more than nine points.”

Praise

Enos praised Ilwaco’s response to an opponent with a 21-1 record. “We knew they would have a lot of firepower,” he said, wondering if switching tactics on defense may have cost IHS. “Perhaps we were a little tired? If so, that’s on me that I didn’t sub more.”

He called Jaden Turner “a solid senior leader,” team high scorer at 18 points, combining well with brother Beckett, next with 13. “They push each other and get on each other, but it’s all good.”

Junior starter Alex West had 10 points and senior Sam Glenn had nine. Morris contributed well, despite not scoring, said the coach, and Fitzgerald had 12 points, all from far out. “It was a good way to end high school career,” said Enos. Also on the varsity squad were Derrick Cutting, Ethan Hopkins, Boston Caron and Jacob Rogers.

‘Opportunity’

Jaden Turner earned the sportsmanship medal presented by WIAA representatives immediately after the handshake line. Later, he steered the conversation toward the positive season rather than the loss. “It’s been everything I could ask for,” the senior said. “We have put in a lot of good time as a group. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to.”

After a spring season, likely playing Fishermen soccer, Turner will head to the University of Puget Sound to study business leadership while continuing his basketball. Inevitably, he is asked to address on-court family chemistry; brother Beckett is two years younger and an inch taller.

“He is way better than I was when I was a sophomore,” Jaden Turner said. “We butt heads. We say what we want to. But I have enjoyed the opportunity to play with him over the years.”