Undefeated no more: Enumclaw rallies for comeback win over crosstown rival White River
With one quarter to play in Charlee Torgison’s regular-season career, Enumclaw’s senior guard asked her coach for the ball.
White River led by six -- the heated crosstown rivals could have clinched the 2A SPSL title outright with a win. They were the aggressors for the opening three quarters, but Torgison knew that roles would eventually have to reverse.
Torgison slashed through defenders and exploded into the paint, drawing several fourth-quarter fouls and draining 10 points in the period, all on foul shots. Enumclaw’s home crowd began to roar. Torgison’s game-sealing shots propelled the host Hornets over White River for the first time this season.
It took a fourth-quarter comeback, but Enumclaw (13-1, 16-4) stood victorious in a 62-57 victory on Thursday night.
White River’s (13-1, 16-5) would-be undefeated season in the 2A SPSL fell one game short.
Torigson led her team with 16 points — 13 from the foul line.
“I knew I needed to attack the basket,” the senior guard told The News Tribune. “The refs were calling pretty picky, so I knew I had to get them in foul trouble.
“I look at my coach, I take a deep breath, and I know I make them in practice every day. It’s what I do.”
In an all-around team effort Enumclaw saw eight of its players notch four or more points, seven in the final quarter.
The high-profile clash between state contenders and crosstown rivals began in the paint, where both squads built an early presence.
Enumclaw’s Bella Firnkoess and White River’s Ava Bright dueled in the opening quarter with six points apiece, though Enumclaw’s ability to score in transition was the early determinant.
Torgison sunk a three-pointer in the period’s closing moments that propelled Enumclaw’s lead to eight.
“I got a lot of momentum from the crowd,” Torgison said. “It was a really good environment to be in.”
The floor opened in the second as White River found a constant formula: feed sophomore-standout Vivian Kingston inside. Her eight points in the period led all scorers.
Kingston finished with a game-high 21.
Dakota Sprouse connected on a last-gasp three-pointer in the closing seconds of the half, which broke a tie and handed White River a three-point lead at intermission.
Kingston led all first-half scorers with 11. She was just as valuable on defense, responsible for two blocks in the paint before spectators could settle in their seats.
Scoring slowed in the third, but White River built on its lead and Kingston remained the focal point. She tallied five more in the quarter and helped the visiting Hornets build a six-point lead entering the fourth.
Then came the unstoppable Torgison. Enumclaw ended the game on a 23-12 run, much to the senior’s credit, and the host Hornets had avenged a 57-49 defeat to White River on Jan. 9.
“That’s senior leadership. She wants the ball in those situations,” said Enumclaw coach Danny Graham. “She asked for it, she got it, so I appreciate her for doing that.”
Enumclaw’s Bella Firnkoess, a junior center, posted 12 points. Senior forward Gabi Martel and senior guard Marissa Lindberg added 10 apiece.
White River’s Ava Bright tallied eight.
With Enumclaw and White River deadlocked atop the 2A SPSL standings, the WIAA’s RPI will determine the regular-season league champion. White River entered Thursday’s contest ninth, Enumclaw 12th.
“We’re probably not going to move up three (spots),” Graham said.
Enumclaw and White River tip off next at the District 2/3 2A tournament, beginning Feb. 14. Seeding has yet to be determined. A field of 16 programs will vie for seven state allocations.
“We’ve came together as a team, in practice,” Graham said. “The girls understood, if we want to do something, we need to earn it. Every day, we’ve been earning it for four quarters.
“We were ready for it.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 10:34 PM.
