Walla Walla CC men end Tacoma’s NWAC run, 93-75, in championship

It was all set up Sunday to be a memorable finish for the unranked Tacoma CC men at the Northwest Athletic Conference basketball championships.

And in one swift downpour of 3-pointers, the Titans’ season ended.

Walla Walla Community College has a high-powered offense, and the Warriors got out and ran from tipoff to win the NWAC title – 93-75 over the Titans at Everett Community College.

Seven of Walla Walla’s 10 3-pointers came in the first half. Five of them came in the first seven minutes as the Warriors jumped out to a 29-10 lead.

“They were on fire from the start, and played with a ton of energy,” TCC coach T.J. Caughell said. “Because of their short bench, we knew they were going to try and smack us first – and they did that.”

Gabe Porter led all scorers with 23 points for the Warriors. Dalton Thompson added 22. Khalil Thompson paced TCC (19-14) with 15 points, but on 4-of-15 shooting.

It was a great run for the Titans, who were one of the last teams to earn a spot in the 16-team tournament. They were the No. 4 team out of the NWAC West.

But they beat No. 1 North Idaho, No. 7 Peninsula and Umpqua on Saturday night in the semifinals, finishing the game with just six players.

“I am just incredibly proud of my guys,” Caughell said. “We banded together, and were the underdogs every step of the way. I’m just proud of their effort, and we believed that we could win today.”

It was Walla Walla’s first NWAC title since 1979.

This story was originally published March 19, 2017 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Walla Walla CC men end Tacoma’s NWAC run, 93-75, in championship."