Any conference win is big. A conference win on the road in nail-biting fashion with a short bench at your disposal and that win becomes a little extra special. That was the scenario for the Washington boys’ basketball team on Friday night, as they invaded Burlington and escaped with a 58-55 victory.
As heard on KCII, the Demons rode eight guys the entire way in a game they never trailed and it all started with a quick 7-0 run in the first two minutes. The Grayhounds (1-2) had a couple mini runs in the first half, but Washington always had an answer and led 37-27 at the break including a three by Caleb Tanner at the buzzer. The Demons kept Burlington at arm’s length until midway through the fourth when they cut the deficit down to one. It was a dogfight the rest of the way and the play of the game came with 30 seconds left when Washington missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Trashaun Willis hustled for the loose ball and was able to get a timeout near the sidelines. That set up a pair of made free throws from Ethan Patterson that extended the lead out to three. A final heave in the waning seconds by the Grayhounds was left short and Washington fans could breathe a sigh of relief. Patterson finished with a team-high 16 points, Kasen Bailey had 15, and Willis finished with 10. Head Coach Collin Stark loved that his team didn’t fold when Burlington made a run in the fourth. “Last year we tended to tense up in those situations and couldn’t respond. Today we responded and made big plays down the stretch including Trashaun’s rebound and Ethan’s free throws. It definitely feels a lot better being on the winning side of this.”
The Washington girls hosted Burlington and despite trailing 19-16 at half, they grinded out a 46-38 win. Addison Six had herself an evening with 21 points including connecting on 13 of 15 free throws. Olivia Pacha added nine points and 12 boards.
The Demon girls improve to 3-2 and travel to Sigourney on Monday in a game that can be heard on KCII. The boys are 3-1 and hit the road to Oskaloosa on Tuesday.