Toppenish Wildcats end Othello's season
Othello senior Jakob Scott goes up for a basket during Friday night's loss to Selah. Photo by Miles Douglass/Columbia Basin Herald
TOPPENISH, Wash. — After improving upon last season by six wins, the Othello Huskies traveled to Toppenish Tuesday night in a Central Washington Athletic Conference district playoff game.
The Huskies battled for four quarter Tuesday night before the Wildcats were able to pull away at home for a 57-54 victory, ending Othello’s season.
Othello head coach Pete Patitucci said he was proud of the way his time fought Tuesday night.
“We had a good season,” he said. “We only won four games last year and we won 10 this year.”
The Huskies hung with the Wildcats through the first quarter before Toppenish managed to take a 15-14 lead after 8 minutes.
Othello continued to play well in the second quarter before Toppenish’s Ramon Ramirez hit three 3-pointers to help the Wildcats to a 34-25 halftime lead.
Despite trailing at the break, the Huskies continued to fight in the second half. Othello outscored Toppenish in each of the third and fourth quarters.
Although the Huskies outscored the Wildcats in the second half, the nine-point halftime deficit proved too much for Othello to overcome.
Patitucci said his team continued to play well throughout Tuesday night’s game.
“We got within two points late in the fourth quarter,” he said. “We stumbled and couldn’t catch them.”
Judah Gowan led the Huskies with 19 points and Jakob Scott added 13 for Othello.
Although his team’s season is at an end, Patitucci said his team never quit.
“We played hard all the way through,” he said.