Gig Harbor Tides coach Bob Boback knew his team would face a different beast when it matched up with the Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds last Wednesday in a Class 4A Narrows League girls basketball game.

Boback prepared his players to face full-court pressure and an offense that moves at lightning speed. But when the Tides took the court, they found themselves unable to contain Mount Tahoma’s shoot-at-will style.

The T-Birds hit 15 3-pointers and left Gig Harbor’s John Gorrow Gymnasium with a 78-60 victory, dropping the Tides’ record to 4-6 overall, 1-3 in league.

After Mount Tahoma (5-3, 2-2) drilled nine treys to open a 41-27 halftime lead, Boback’s speech in the locker room focused on pressuring the visitors’ hot shooters.

“But the biggest thing was, we’re going to need to hold them to one shot a possession,” he said. “And they got an awful lot of offensive rebounds because they’re so quick.”

Gig Harbor had three players score in double figures as it set a season-high offensive output. Senior guard Leah Davis had 17, sophomore post Naphtali Ward had 14, and junior guard Ali Sommers scored a career-high 16.

“I thought that we just went out there and we worked really hard,” Sommers said. “And that’s what we needed to do, because we knew this was going to be one of the toughest teams of the year.”

Despite trailing by double digits most of the game, the Tides managed multiple rallies. Sommers scored eight points in a three-minute span during the third quarter, and Davis hit a driving layup to trim the T-Birds’ lead to 46-39.

Mount Tahoma rebuilt a seemingly safe lead before Gig Harbor responded again. Davis sank a 3-pointer and two free throws, then converted a three-point play to make it 60-54 with 6 minutes, 27 seconds to go.

But the T-Birds put the final nail in the Tides’ coffin as Ryann Patu and Ashley Keys scored five quick points, and Tanisha Lopez sank consecutive 3-pointers for a 71-58 margin.

“We had our opportunities,” Boback said. “I think we missed a couple layups, and then they made a couple big shots. Give them credit; they hit shots when they needed to.”

Lopez led the guests with 17 points. Keys scored 15, and guards Shakira Ruffin and Kaitlynn Bunger added 12 and 11, respectively.

Sommers said the Tides felt ready for Mount Tahoma’s up-tempo style, which differs greatly from the defense-first motto of most Narrows League teams.

“The last couple of practices, we were just running and making sure we had good defense,” she said. “I thought (Boback) prepared us really well for that.”

Boback said the team is improving in all facets of the game and matches up well with opponents like Mount Tahoma who aren’t considerably bigger and stronger. But the young squad is still trying to develop a confident mindset; Davis is the only returning varsity player from last season.

The previous week, the Tides played in the annual Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic tournament in Ketchikan, Alaska. Despite a difficult travel schedule, Gig Harbor managed one win and played well in two losses.

“There was some really good teams,” Sommers said of the tourney. “I think that prepared us a lot, too, for these games here.”

The Tides likely will have more success if Sommers continues to play like she did against Mount Tahoma.

“She just works so hard, and she has no fear,” Boback said. “And that’s where we hope everybody gets to. If we play with no fear and attack the basket, we can beat that team.”

Sports Editor Neil Pierson can be reached at 253-853-9246 or by email at neil.pierson@gateline.com. Follow him on Twitter, @gateway_neil.