Columbia boys finish difficult season without win

The Bruins (0-16) lost four games in a grueling, five-day, catch-up stretch last week, ending their season without a victory.

Coach Evan Wiley, ever the optimist, continually accentuated the positive aspects of his team, which never was able to reach its stride in the tough Trico League.

Wiley missed games himself because of COVID protocols. He pointed to one recent game which spoke volumes of the type of season the Bruins experienced. In a non-league contest against Goldendale on Jan. 29, Columbia fell behind early but showed resilience to put the Timberwolves on the ropes.

“We were down multiple starters, but we rallied to make the Goldendale game very competitive,” he said. “We came out flat and didn’t execute very well to begin with and dug ourselves a 21-point hole at the half. About halfway through the third quarter, we really found a groove and started attacking.”

The Bruins whittled the lead to seven points with two minutes left and were four seconds on the shot clock away from another stop. “Then we fouled, they hit both free throws and from there it was just too much to overcome,” Wiley said of the 60-51 loss.

Columbia’s four-game results last week included road losses Jan. 31 at Seton (66-43) and Feb. 4 at Castle Rock (62-33), sandwiched around competitive efforts at home: a 66-49 loss to Castle Rock on Feb. 2 and a 63-51 home loss to Seton on Feb. 3.

A highlight of the week — perhaps of the season — came in the Feb. 3 Seton Catholic game. Seton was ahead and running out the clock in the closing seconds. Seton guard Rico George knew Columbia’s Ben Allen could dunk. So, he deliberately tossed the ball to Allen — a senior playing in his final home game. He took the pass, dribbled to the other end, and hammered down a dunk as the clock expired.

“It was a huge moment for (Allen) and our fans and that will forever be his last memory on his home floor,” Wiley said. “I have talked to their coach and told him how special of a moment that was. … We didn’t get a win, but that was a heck of a way to go out at home this year.”