Anderson, Mount Tahoma rout Kelso in opening round of 3A districts: 3 takeaways
It didn’t take long for Mount Tahoma to get rolling in its Class 3A West Central/Southwest bidistrict tournament game on Thursday evening in Tacoma, with the T-Birds jumping out a 37-17 halftime lead, eventually winning, 66-46 to advance to the tournament quarterfinals on the road against Gig Harbor on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Here are three takeaways from the T-Birds’ win.
THIS TEAM PLAYS DEFENSE
As Mount Tahoma coach Jason Townsend tells it, kids uninterested in playing defense need not bother trying out for the T-Birds’ basketball team before the season.
“If they don’t buy into it, they don’t make the team,” he said. “That’s just plain and simple. … That’s instilled the first day of practice, first day of tryouts.”
Mount Tahoma posted another suffocating defensive performance against the visiting Hilanders on Thursday night, holding Kelso to a paltry 17 first-half points to build a 20-point cushion heading into the break.
That starts with the team’s top player, sophomore guard Asjon Anderson, who scored a game-high 22 points in the win. He’s as skilled a scorer as there is in Tacoma this season, but an undervalued part of his game might be his defense. Nothing comes easy for opposing guards.
“I feel like it’s a good recipe for success to start on the defensive end and get your best out of your best players,” Townsend said. “If the other guys see Asjon averaging 17, 18 a game, he’s also averaging 5 steals a game. He’s over there playing defense full court, trying to turn his guy. If my best player is also my hardest worker, that sets the tone for practice and every single from there on out.”
It’s a team effort, with Townsend also acknowledging the buy-in from players like senior guard Eloheim Johnson.
LEO RUIZ IS A TERRIFIC POST PASSER
The 6-foot-5 bruising senior guard isn’t the team’s flashiest player. He isn’t going to put up 30 points a night, blow past defenders or post any highlight-reel dunks. But outside of Anderson, there might not be a more valuable player on Mount Tahoma’s roster right now than Ruiz.
He has the ability to score inside but is also the team’s best passer, constantly looking for open shooters on the perimeter when help arrives.
“He’s 6-5, he can see over the defense, he has strong hands and he’s got a soft touch,” Townsend said. “He can do a lot of different things when we get the ball in the low post. He doesn’t have to score, but he’ll draw the attention and make the pass. He has tremendous basketball IQ.”
Ruiz said passing has always been a featured part of his game.
“I try to look out for whoever is open, make the right play, the right decision,” Ruiz said.
And he’s continued to develop into a more consistent scorer this season. In Thursday’s win, he had 10 points for the T-Birds.
“He finishes around the rim a lot,” Townsend said. “He has great footwork, uses his jab-step. He wasn’t always confident to do it in the games. He’s been more patient, taking his time. He’s very coachable.”
FOR MOUNT TAHOMA, A TRIP TO STATE ON THE LINE NEXT
The T-Birds will travel across the Narrows to face 3A SSC champion Gig Harbor on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals, with the winner of the game securing a trip to the state tournament.
If Mount Tahoma wins, it would mark the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2006.
“We’re excited,” Ruiz said. “We’re going to bring all we’ve got, stay focused and see what we get.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 10:23 PM.
