Highline First to Final Four with 87-78 Win Over Spokane
PASCO, Wash. - Highline continued its Cinderella run with an 87-78 victory over Spokane in the 2025 NWAC Men's Basketball Championship presented by Golf Universe on Saturday at Columbia Basin College.
The West Region's No. 4 seed, the Thunderbirds knocked off both the No. 1 and 2 seeds in their quadrant to reach their first NWAC Final Four since 2014. Highline continued its torrid shooting with 13 three pointers including nine in the first half when they dropped 52 points to lead Spokane by 17. The Thunderbirds never trailed in the game as they never let off the gas.
Isaiah Vargas led the Thunderbirds with a standout performance, scoring 21 points and hitting four 3-pointers. He also contributed four rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Keaine Silimon was also effective from beyond the arc, making four of five 3-point attempts and tallying 17 points overall, along with six rebounds and three assists. Rylan Donovan provided a strong all-around effort, securing a team-high 10 rebounds and adding 12 points, eight assists, and two steals. Cooper Aitken was efficient in his shooting, making seven of 11 field goal attempts and scoring 14 points, while also grabbing eight rebounds.
The Thunderbirds started the first half strong with Silimon scoring a jumper at 19:24 and a 3-pointer at 18:21 to help them take an early 7-0 lead. Spokane's Nate Visentin responded with a layup at 17:35 to put the Sasquatch on the board. The Thunderbirds continued to extend their lead, with Avery Morgan hitting a 3-pointer at 10:00 to push their advantage to 22. Aitken's dunk at 4:37 gave the Thunderbirds their largest lead of the half, 42-20. Spokane's Zack Reighard was active, contributing to the Sasquatch's efforts with multiple scores, including a 3-pointer at 4:20, but the Thunderbirds maintained control, finishing the half with a 52-35 lead.
The second half of the game saw the Thunderbirds maintaining a significant lead over the Sasquatch, starting with Donovan's tip-in at 19:29 to extend the Thunderbirds' lead to 54-35. Spokane's Carson Way managed to score a tip-in at 17:59, bringing the score to 54-37, but the Thunderbirds continued their offensive push with Isaiah Vargas hitting a layup at 16:46, making it 60-39. Cooper Aitken's layup at 11:52 marked the Thunderbirds' largest lead of the half at 28 points, with a score of 75-47. Despite the Sasquatch's late attempt to close the gap, it was too much to overcome.
Reighard led the Sasquatch with another strong tournament game, scoring a game-high 30 points and including six 3-pointers. Nate Visentin had 11 points and eight rebounds and Sam Phillips added 13 points off the bench.
The Thunderbirds will advance to next week's Final Four and face a familiar foe in West No. 1 seed Lower Columbia on March 15 at 5 p.m.