Tonasket sophomore Ethan Bensing had a breakout performance against Omak on Thursday, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 19 points.
TONASKET – Coming back from one 13-point deficit wasn’t enough for the Tonasket boys basketball team.
The Tigers came back from an early 16-3 disadvantage to pull within two, then trailed again 37-24 just before halftime before bouncing back to claim a 68-62 victory over Omak on Thursday, Jan. 3.
Sophomore Ethan Bensing nearly doubled his season scoring output with a career high 19 points (after scoring 27 points through the first 10 games). including three 3-pointers. Bensing hit a pair of treys during a 16-6 Tonasket run to start the third quarter that got Tonasket back in the game.
Tonasket led by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, but Omak awoke to take a 57-56 lead with 3:15 lef.
Michael Orozco drew a critical charging foul, Colton Leep drained a 3-pointer, and Dyllan Gage hit the go-ahead basket with 35 seconds left to key the Tigers’ final surge in the fourth quarter.
Gage finished with a game-high 25 points, five steals and four assists, while Trevor Terris added 11 rebounds and four assists as Tonasket improved to 6-5 (1-4 Caribou Trail League).
Omak (4-7, 0-5) was led by freshman Chance Williams’ 22 points.
Brent Baker/staff photo The Tigers’ Colton Leep draws a foul from Omak’s Juan Medina in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s contest.
Brent Baker/staff photo Tonasket coach Agustin Pedregon shouts instructions to the Tigers late in Thursday’s 68-62 victory.
Brent Baker/staff photo Trevor Terris had a big night under the glass, leading the Tigers with 11 rebounds in Thursday’s victory over Omak.
