Armin’s clutch rebounds, free throws end Tumwater’s hopes in 59-56 loss to Black Hills

Free throw shooting hasn’t been a strength for the Black Hills High School boys basketball team this season.

Senior guard Avery Armin is no exception. He’s missed some big free throws. But, according to Wolves’ coach Jeff Gallagher, he’s been diligent about trying to fix that particular flaw in his game.

“Avery struggled shooting free throws our first five or six games,” said Gallagher. “Every single night when I’d leave practice, he’d still be in here shooting.”

Friday night, in yet another typically thrilling edition of what is now apparently called the “Pioneer Hardwood Classic,” the extra work paid off. Leading Tumwater by a single point in the final seconds, Wolves’ fans agonized as Degan Hurley and Zach Crumley each missed the front ends of one-and-ones.

But the 6-foot-1 Armin wouldn’t let it matter, leaping between the trees inside to grab the rebound after each miss. Fouled after his second big board, Armin sank both free throws with six seconds to play, giving Black Hills its final 59-56 lead.

“He anticipated and read the ball coming off the rim,” said Gallagher. “He’s a heck of an athlete.”

Damon Gaither, who had eight points for Tumwater, glanced a potential tying trey off the front rim as time ran out.

“Those boards were really big,” Armin agreed. “We needed to secure the ‘W.’”

The free throws didn’t come without pressure.

“I took a step back to try to get calm,” he said.

Last year, the leg of the rivalry played at Black Hills was a classic with Peyton Peterson sinking two free throws late in overtime to propel Tumwater to a 61-60 victory that proved to be the eventual champion Wolves only loss of the Class 2A Evergreen Conference season.

This time, Black Hills’ triumph leaves them alone in first place by two games over both the T-Birds and W.F. West, with four games remaining, including the Pioneer Classic rematch at Tumwater on February 7.

The beginning of Friday’s game hinted at the drama to come as the teams traded three-pointer after three-pointer as the lead changed hands again and again during the first quarter. Weston Ainsworth, who led Black Hills with 14 points, was the focal point for the Wolves, but several hit early threes.

“My teammates got me open. The plays were called for me and they found me,” Ainsworth said.

Camden Oram, Tumwater’s 6-2 junior guard, hit the first three of his seven 3-pointers from the exact same spot, two feet beyond the arc at the top of the key. In the second half he cashed one in from 30 feet. He would finish with a game high 23 points.

“We talked more about his passing ability than his shooting in our scouting report,” Gallagher admitted.

The first quarter shootout surprised players and coaches alike.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Armin, who finished with eight points, said. “It was fun to watch, fun to do.”

Gallagher couldn’t remember such a game either.

“I’ve been in games when my team was on the poor end of that, but never when both teams were going back and forth,” he said.

Black Hills led by as many as eight points, but could never truly pull away, even trailing briefly during the fourth quarter.

“Tumwater’s a good team and Josh Wilson is a really good coach. Any lead you get is going to come back to you,” Gallagher said. “We made some big shots and got some big stops.”

Any final margin was fine with the Wolves, who also got 11 points from Crumley and 10 from junior post Justin Hicks.

“This is a highly anticipated game,” said Armin. “For us to get the ‘W’ over them with the whole of Tumwater watching was fun.”