Davenport survives scare from NWC

Gorillas advance to semifinals against Columbia (Burbank)

Drew Lawson, The Record-Times | Last updated Mar 02, 2023 7:21pm0

Drew Lawson | The Record-Times count

SPOKANE—There’s an old adage in sports: It’s hard to beat a team three times. No. 1 Davenport found that to be especially true if you up that number to four, but the Gorillas did just enough to hold off District 7 rival Northwest Christian 62-58 in the 2B state quarterfinals Thursday, March 2.

The win was, indeed, Davenport’s fourth in as many tries against the Crusaders this season.

But No. 7 NWC did not make it easy at the Spokane Arena Thursday.

“Three times is never easy, but that fourth time was real tough,” Davenport head coach Matt Henry said. “We know each other so well, and they know our strengths and weaknesses, so that was really tough going in.”

The start of the game indicated it might be another double-digit win for Davenport, as the first three matchups between the two schools had been. The Gorillas took a 20-10 lead that was 20-13 after a quarter behind 10 points from Tennessee Rainwater.

But then, Davenport’s offense began to struggle, and NWC put up just enough points to draw within three at 29-26 at halftime.

Davenport managed to build a 39-32 lead in the third quarter, but the Crusaders scored seven straight points to tie the game 39-39 with 2:29 left in the quarter.

NWC wasn’t done fighting, as Asher West’s layup gave the Crusaders a 45-43 lead that the underdogs took into the final quarter.

Then, Rainwater decided his team’s goal of a state title wasn’t going to end. He scored six straight points and found Cash Colbert for a breakaway layup to give Davenport a 51-45 lead, but the drama wasn’t over: he picked up his fourth foul with 5:19 left.

Head coach Matt Henry trusted his star, keeping him in the game. The trust was rewarded, as Rainwater put up 15 points in the fourth quarter and 30 for the game.

“We just knew that we had to score. We couldn’t be afraid (and) we couldn’t back down,” Rainwater said. “I think I’m the front-runner to set that atmosphere and set that tone for our offense, so that’s what I was trying to do in that second half.”

Avi West hit a three-pointer with 1:05 remaining to cut Davenport’s lead to 58-54 with 1:05 left, but the Crusaders couldn’t draw closer and the Gorillas held on.

Davenport managed a win behind 30 points and eight rebounds from Rainwater and 16 points and 12 rebounds from Colbert.

“Everyone’s playing their best basketball right now, and our goal is to do that as well,” Rainwater said. “It’s a new atmosphere. We haven’t been here ever our whole career. Just getting used to this atmosphere and dialing it in and making sure we’re executing was big for us down the stretch.”

NWC was led by the West brothers. Asher West had 17 points and Avi West scored 15 points. Nate Clark added 10 points for the Crusaders.

The Gorillas earned a win on the defensive end, getting just enough stops to offset several missed layups, 12 missed free throws and a goose egg from the three-point line for Davenport.

“They’re seniors, and so I think they have a really good amount of composure that they’ve gained throughout the years,” Henry said. “Even when they made that run, I kind of look around in the huddle and it’s fun to see them go ‘alright, let’s go’ instead of some of those big eyes. It’s just a composure that I really appreciate.”

Davenport advanced to the state semifinals and will take on No. 4 Columbia (Burbank), which went on a second-half blitz against Lake Roosevelt to rout the Raiders 83-52 in another quarterfinal Wednesday.

“I don’t know if anybody can keep up with their pace, but we’re going to try to defend them all over the place,” Henry said. “If we can defend them all over the place and get a hand in shooter’s faces we have as good a chance as any.”

The Gorillas and Coyotes matched up in December, with Davenport earning a 66-49 home win against a short-handed Columbia squad.

The semifinal matchup is at 3:45 p.m. Friday, March 3 back at the Spokane Arena.