Jackson boys’ rally runs out of steam late against Tahoma
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 28, 2024
TACOMA — For a brief moment in the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Jackson High School boys basketball team was on the verge of an upset against second-seeded Tahoma.
The Bears put an end to the No. 10 Timberwolves’ plans, closing on an 18-0 run to beat Jackson 60-49 in the Class 4A Hardwood Classic round of 12 Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome. Tahoma will play first-seeded Mount Si on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Senior 6-foot-7 post Ryan Mcferran supplied 16 points and hauled in 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves (17-10), while freshman Joey Gosline provided 15 points off the bench and made 4-of-7 3-pointers.
Bears senior 6-foot-6 forward Adam Davis was a thorn in Jackson’s side, racking up 26 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks while going 6-for-6 from deep.
“We’re disappointed,” Jackson head coach Steve Johnson said. “It was a weird game. A terrible beginning and a terrible end. I gotta give them some credit, (Davis) hit some big shots.”
The Timberwolves battled back from an early 15-2 hole in the first quarter, closing the Tahoma lead to 30-22 at the half.
A 21-9 third quarter sparked the Timberwolves back into the fold. Sophomore guard Seamus Williams (six points, four assists) threaded a pass underneath to Colby Cooke for a 3-point play, cutting the lead to 31-25 early in the third. Gosline was fouled on a 3-pointer with 1:30 to go and sunk all three to tie it at 39. He hit a 3-pointer from the corner as time expired as the Timberwolves claimed a 43-39 lead going into the final frame.
“Joey is a great shooter,” Johnson said. “No fear, freshman going out there with bright lights like it was no big deal. He’s got a bright future, so we’re certainly excited about that.”
After bumping the lead up to seven at 49-42 with just over six minutes left, Jackson wouldn’t score the rest of the way.
Davis hit a 3-pointer to pull the Bears within one at 49-48 with under four minutes left, and he splashed in another to give Tahoma a four-point lead with just over a minute left.
“To get here is great,” Johnson said. “Losing seven seniors from last season and getting to the Tacoma Dome, I think we showed a lot in terms of what this program is about and how our kids bought in this year.”
