The Ephrata Tiger boys dropped two Central Washington Athletic Conference contests over the weekend before nearly pulling off an upset against Othello on Tuesday, falling 71-68 in a game that came down to fouls and free throws in the final minutes.

If there was a silver lining to the Tigers' seven-game losing streak, it was Tuesday's battle with the Huskies. Ephrata led by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter and had Othello on the ropes before the Huskies closed on a 24-15 run.

Wyatt Schluckebier sparked the Tigers off the bench, burying four-of-five 3's to finish with 14 points and help Ephrata take a 36-34 halftime lead. Caiden Weber caught fire from deep as well, drilling three 3-pointers for 15 points and adding three assists and two steals.

Cody Ogle finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Brady Hendrick matched him with 10 points, six boards, and a team-high five assists. Benson Bair added 10 points, six rebounds, and a block, Cooper Black chipped in six points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

The Tigers shot 52% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc but couldn't get stops down the stretch as Othello converted 13 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. LJ Nunez led the Huskies with 43 points.

Ephrata's weekend opened Friday in Quincy, where the Tigers ran into a hot-shooting Jackrabbit squad and fell 72-39. Quincy cashed nine 3's and led 20-10 after one quarter. Pierce Bierlink paced the Jacks with 29 points.

Ogle scored 10 to lead Ephrata, while Hendrick added eight. Bair chipped in seven points, and Black dished out four assists.

The loss to Quincy was followed by a 62-33 home loss to Selah, where the league-leading Vikings' perimeter shooting proved to be the difference. Apparently unaffected by the bus ride, the hot-shooting visitors buried six 3-pointers in the first quarter, racing out to a 21-5 lead. Carson Decker led the Vikings with 16 points and Oliver Pepper added 15.

Bair led Ephrata with nine points and Hendrick added seven. Weber finished with six off the bench.

Speaking of silver linings, Weber is emerging as a serious offensive threat, knocking down six 3-pointers over the three-game stretch. The junior guard scored 24 points, including his 15 against Othello.

Collectively, Weber and Schluckebier's hot shooting comes at a critical time for the roster-challenged Tigers, who have suited up just nine players since Jett Julian went down with an injury. Schluckebier's 14-point night against the Huskies was a season high.

Over their recent three-game stretch, Bair has paced the Tigers with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Ogle has added 24 points and a team-high 17 boards. Hendrick followed with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, and Black continued his steady point guard play with 12 assists and 12 rebounds.

Ephrata has three games remaining: Friday at Ellensburg, a home date with East Valley on Feb. 3, and a season finale at Toppenish on Feb. 6. The Tigers and Red Devils are tied at 2-11 in league play, with only the top eight of nine CWAC teams qualifying for districts. East Valley closes with Quincy, Ephrata, and Othello. Whoever finishes with the better record claims the final postseason spot.

It will be a rematch at Ellensburg for head coach Rick Walter's Ephrata squad (3-15, 2-11 league), after the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 52-40 on Marty O'Brien Court earlier this month. Tip-off is 7 p.m.

CWAC Roundup—
Friday: Selah 64, Toppenish 35 | Ephrata 39, Quincy 72 | Othello 75, Grandview 95 | Ellensburg 74, Prosser 77
Saturday: Toppenish 54, King's 62 | Selah 62, Ephrata 33 | Prosser 81, East Valley (Yakima) 60 | Grandview 50, Ellensburg 59
Tuesday: Othello 71, Ephrata 68 | Toppenish 78, Prosser 84 | Ellensburg 63, Quincy 68 | East Valley (Yakima) 37, Grandview 83