TUMWATER — The last time that Tumwater won a district title was in 2020, when Josh Wilson was in his third year as the team’s coach. During that season, the Thunderbirds coined the motto “T-Bird Tough,” a slogan that has stuck throughout the years.
Wilson is now in his ninth year at the helm in Tumwater, and his T-Birds were more than tough on Saturday night, when they gutted out a 74-59 victory over Washougal in a 2A District 4 Quarterfinal.
“We were ‘T-Bird Tough’ for sure,” Wilson said. “Our guys showed that tonight. I’m proud of our guys for sticking through it.”
Tumwater ended up pulling away in the final minute and change, but with just three minutes to play, it only led by six.
One of the biggest plays of the game came with 2:59 to play, when Luke Overbay was intentionally fouled and landed hard after attempting a transition layup. The game’s physicality and intensity had been building throughout the second half, and the foul forced Overbay to leave the game because of a bloody nose.
Landon Anchors hit one of two free throws in Overbay’s place, and on the ensuing inbound play, Owen Reamer got open underneath to push the lead to nine.
Just over one minute of game action later, Overbay emerged from the locker room in a fresh jersey and with bandages in both nostrils.
“It felt so good to see him get back in there,” junior guard Julian Balsley said. “That’s what he does. He’s a tough guy, he does all the dirty work on the floor, and we need him in these moments.”
Balsley was the focal point for the Tumwater offense early on, when it looked as though it wouldn’t be close.
Balsley’s first bucket of the night capped a 10-0 T-Bird run to open the game, and that first basket served as the first two points of 17 straight points from Balsley.
In that same stretch, Washougal only scored eight, putting the Thunderbirds up 27-8 just over seven minutes into the game.
“I just saw lots of openings,” Balsley said. “There were a lot of openings for me to get to my buckets and to be able to get into how I play.”
The Panthers settled in in the second period, but Tumwater still entered the locker room up 11 at the break. Washougal’s Coleman Multanen began heating up in the third, scoring nine points, and he converted a three-point play as part of a 7-0 Washougal run that cut the gap to just five with 6:22 to play.
Overbay had already hit a bucket in the paint to start the fourth, and he added seven more points in the next three and a half minutes before temporarily exiting the game.
After the intentional foul, the Thunderbirds outscored the Panthers 11-2.
“I’m just glad that we were able to show some toughness,” Wilson said. “It’s easy to welter in those kinds of environments, and our boys did not. They met them where they were at, so it was great to see.”
Balsley finished with a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Wilson said he wasn’t surprised, noting that the junior had a great week in practice.
“It's good to see him play well,” Wilson said. “He’s just been getting tougher and tougher and tougher, and that’s the path we need him to be on because he’s a highly capable player.”
Overbay finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds, Ethan Bello also scored 16 points and grabbed five steals, and Landon Anchors added 14 points to go along with six assists. Reamer finished with four points, and Jake Reid added three.
The win not only extends Tumwater’s winning streak to 19, but it puts them one game away from their first trip to state since 2023.
The Thunderbirds (20-1) will make the trip to Woodland to face the host Beavers in the district semifinals on Tuesday.
“We will get down there and do what we can to take care of business,” Wilson said. “I expect us to be well prepared and doing everything we can to win that basketball game.”
If the T-Birds can’t get it done in Woodland, they’ll need to win two straight elimination games to claim District 4’s third and final state tournament spot.
If Tumwater is able to get to state, it would be the first trip for Balsley, Overbay, and the other seven Thunderbirds who are either juniors or younger.
“I’m pumped,” Balsley said. “It’d be a great feeling to get there. I can’t wait to keep the season going and see how far we can make it.”
