The girls’ and boys’ basketball seasons closed this past weekend in intense rounds of playoffs. Here’s an update on how the games went.

Boys

The boys came into playoffs this season ranked 25th in the state, playing their first game against the 8th-in-state Mountainside Mavericks on Mar. 4 at Mountainside High School. 

There was an energetic atmosphere both on and off the court, as the boys brought their best offense while Tualatin brought the excitement in the student section. However, Mountainside was lock-down on their defense, and the Tualatin boys lost with a final score of 44-52, ending their season with a 13-12 record.

Girls: 

Coming in at 8th in the state, the girls played their first round of playoffs against the Clackamas Cavaliers, 25th in the state, on Mar. 3 at home.

Overall, the game was intense with periodic ties throughout and a high-stakes double overtime at the end. There was never a time when a team was certain to win. However, Tualatin managed to end the game with a 14-0 run, closing with a final score of 50-40 Tualatin.

As for notable players of the game, junior Teagan Gaviola scored her career high with 10 points, while junior Sidney Dering was the leading scorer of the game with a total of 18 points.

This was a massive win for the girls, as they haven’t advanced beyond the first round in years. Not only this, but their win against Clackamas helped bring energy in the second round against the Southridge Skyhawks.

In the last game before going to the Chiles Center — the site of the Class 6A tournament from the third round to the finals — the girls played Southridge, ranked 9th in the state, at home on Mar. 6.

Southridge has a strong playoff history, playing in the last three Class 6A state championships and winning titles in 2018 and 2019. This season, they had one of the leading female scorers in the state, McKelle Meek, averaging 24 points per game.

Tualatin was united as a team throughout the game, as every single player on the team contributed to the huge effort put forth in both the game and the season. However, in the end, the Wolves lost 38-51 and did not advance in the playoffs, ending their season with a 19-7 record.