HS Boys Basketball: Mount Tahoma Wins Close Battle In Overtime Over Lakes

1/15/26

Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds 77, Lakes Lancers 70 (OT)

(Tacoma, WA) Only once a year do the PSL divisions crossover on the hardwood floor. This matchup was pivotal for both sides as the Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds won two games in a row, while Lakes had lost two in a row by three points in both games. Mount Tahoma came into the game fifth in the PSL-Nisqually, while Lakes was in first place in the PSL-Narrows. The game was a great litmus test for both sides and a chance to improve their league record heading into the home stretch of the regular season.

In the first quarter, Mount Tahoma built an early lead, but Lakes stormed back as Raziah Patterson had 10 points in the opening frame, and Lakes had a 20-14 lead. The 20-point quarter for the Lancers was the most points either side would score in a quarter all night. In the second quarter, Lakes flexed their muscles and built a double-digit lead. Mount Tahoma chipped away at the lead with Peter Pilcher down low, grabbing rebounds and scoring, while Logan Walker drained a pair of threes from NBA range. Lakes led 36-33 at the half despite being outscored in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, the game began a “punch, counter punch” theme to the half, as the teams traded blows. For Lakes, Darius Imperial had a 10-point quarter, featuring a pair of three-pointers as he had all but four of the Lancers’ points in the third. Mount Tahoma’s Logan Walker kept things going with a three-pointer of his own, and Mikkah Cordero added five points as Mount Tahoma outscored Lakes by three points for the second straight quarter. The game was tied at 50 heading into the fourth.

Lakes built up a 60-54 lead, but Mount Tahoma came storming back with a 7-0 run to take the lead with under two minutes left. Later on, the game was tied at 62 apiece, when Darius Imperial for the third quarter in a row had a 10-point quarter, got a jumper to drop from the elbow as Lakes led by two. Mount Tahoma responded as Logan Walker drilled a three to give the T-Birds the lead at 65-64 with under a minute left. After Raziah Patterson attempted a shot that missed, the ball pinballed around back to Patterson, who attacked the basket and got the basket to fall this time, plus a foul. He drilled the free throw to make it 67-65. With 20 seconds left, Peter Pilcher banked in a close shot to tie the game up. Neither side could break the 67-67 tie as the game went into overtime.

As the young fans in the crowd celebrated the score, overtime started with Mount Tahoma getting two quick hoops from Mikkah Cordero underneath to make it a 71-67 T-Birds lead. Darius Imperial sank a triple to pull the Lancers within one. With under a minute to go, Logan Walker drained another three-pointer to give Mount Tahoma a 74-70 lead. Cordero, the quarterback on the 3A State runners-up football team, dropped a dime to Pilcher on the run, who slammed home the exclamation point for Mount Tahoma as the T-Birds flew to an exhilarating 77-70 victory.

Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express Game MVP went to Mount Tahoma’s Logan Walker. Walker hit six threes in the game, one towards the end of regulation that was key for the T-Birds, and another one in overtime to help cement the victory. To make his game even more impressive, he didn’t score until the second quarter and had 19 of his 25 points in the second half and overtime.

Mount Tahoma was led by Peter Pilcher, who had a team-high 28 points and very easily could’ve been Game MVP with his spectacular rebounding effort to go along with his 28 points. Mikkah Cordero had 16 points, Zion Norman had six points, and Tyson Tschabold had two points.

With a game-high 34 points, Darius Imperial led the way for the Lancers. Imperial hit seven three-pointers and, incredibly, only had one point after the first quarter. Raziah Patterson had 20 points, Jayson Adams had six points, Ray Smith had four points, while Dom Imperial and Andrew Knight each had three points

Mount Tahoma improves to 6-6 on the season and 5-5 in PSL play. The Thunderbirds look to put another win in the win column on Friday at Timberline, which will be streamed on ESN.

Lakes drops to 9-4 on the season and remains in first place in the PSL-Nisqually with a 6-3 league record, tied with River Ridge. The Lancers host Gig Harbor on Friday, a game that will be streamed on ESN.

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