Pollard pours in 29, but Foss has a long road to the state regionals after loss to Renton
Foss High School boys basketball will have to take the long road for a chance at a third consecutive trip to the Class 2A state tournament.
Trailing by 15 points with three minutes to play Thursday night in Tacoma, the Falcons rallied late, but couldn’t solve visiting Renton, and dropped a 67-62 loss in the 2A West Central District quarterfinals.
The Indians (18-6) secured a trip to the 2A state regionals with a win. The Falcons (17-7) need a pair of wins in the next two days to advance out of the district tournament.
Should Foss get past White River on Friday night, and win again Saturday against either Foster or Steilacoom, the Falcons would likely still have a high enough RPI ranking to notch a return trip to Yakima.
Foss won it all in 2017, and took fifth a season ago. The program hasn’t missed the state playoffs since becoming a 2A school.
“We’ve grown a lot, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Falcons senior Micah Pollard said. “We’ll get back in the gym tomorrow, and we have to win two in a row.”
Pollard, who averages 30.5 points per game, poured in a game-high 29 against the Indians and pulled down 10 rebounds and added four steals.
He scored nine points in the final period as Foss tried to track down Renton’s double-digt lead in the closing minutes. The Falcons cut the lead as close as four points, and appeared on the cusp of a stunning comeback, until Pollard and Emillion Coffee collided after an apparent steal with less than 20 seconds to go.
“We tried to trap the ball, and we could have won, but I ran into Emillion,” Pollard said. “I don’t think he saw me either. We kind of clunked heads. They called a jump ball, and that kind of turned the tides for us.”
Renton was awarded possession, and closed out the final moments of the game, topping Foss for the second time this season.
“We just (rallied) too late,” Pollard said. “But, I was proud of them for how hard they fought back. They didn’t give up.”
The Indians controlled the lead most of the way, enjoying a 41-23 rebounding advantage — including pulling down 27 to Foss’ six in the first half — and finished with four scorers in double digits.
“We have to be more composed, take better care of the basketball, and just make plays,” Foss coach Josh Barsh said. “There were opportunities for us to make plays, and that’s what killed us. We could never make a play to put them in a hole or put pressure on them.”
O’Shae Barquet led with 17 points, while Damarco Williams added 13 and Vershan Jackson and Terrance Meneese had 11 apiece for the Indians. Eight different Renton plays notched multiple boards.
Elohiem Johnson was the only other scorer for Foss in double figures, adding 19 points.
In part because of the recent snowstorm, which canceled practices and games for five days, Foss was playing its first game since Feb. 2, when the Falcons routed Franklin Pierce for the 2A SPSL title.
“Those days away for our guys really hurt, being a first-year coach,” Barsh said. “The mental stuff, you could see it all slipped out. It was gone. It wasn’t the same. That really hurt us a lot. I think that was the biggest thing.
“Before the break, we were doing so well keeping teams off of the boards. That’s why we won six in a row.”
Now, Foss needs another streak to keep its season alive. The Falcons travel to Bonney Lake at 7:45 p.m. Friday to meet White River.
RENTON | 10 | 20 | 16 | 21 | — | 67 |
FOSS | 10 | 16 | 16 | 20 | — | 62 |
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
R – O’Shae Barquet 17, Damarco Williams 13, Vershan Jackson 11, Isaiah Little 1, Jamil Maalim 1, Terrance Meneese 11, Adonis Clemente 4, Jamal Jemerson 4, Jason Bowen 5.
F – Elohiem Johnson 19, Emillion Coffee 1, Micah Pollard 29, Alex Glenn 7, Theo Thales 2, De’Ante Hill 1, Isaiah Jackson 3.
