TACOMA — The CBBN boys baskeketball teams closed their state tournament runs with drama, grit, and a heavy dose of history inside the Tacoma Dome.

For West Valley, trying to beat Glacier Peak twice in the same week proved too tall of a task. The Rams’ fourth-quarter haymaker landed, just as it had in Tuesday’s opening-round win, but this time there was enough time left for the Grizzlies to counter. Josiah Lee’s closing flurry proved to be too much, and the Rams settled for a fifth-place trophy after a 49-41 setback in Saturday’s trophy round.

Earlier in the week, the end of an era arrived for Davis. The Pirates fell 64-60 to Puyallup in Wednesday’s first round, closing the careers of longtime head coach Eli Juarez and record-setting guard Cesar Hernandez. Juarez retires with 534 wins, 313 of them at Davis, while Hernandez departs with 2,031 points — second-most in program history.

Rams’ last punch

West Valley trailed by nine midway through the third quarter, before a 10-0 run gave the Rams a lead entering the fourth. Senior Landen Birley, who torched Glacier Peak for 29 points in the regional round, capped his prep career with 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals. His late 3-pointer capped a 7-0 burst that tied the game at 41 with just over two minutes left.

But Lee had the final say. He scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers under heavy pressure. Excluding Lee, the Grizzlies shot just 5-for-29, but they controlled the glass 47-31 and hit 12 free throws to WV’s four.

Parker Hill and Parker Mills chipped in seven points apiece for the Rams, who shot just 32 percent but still matched their best state finish in 21 years. 

The Rams finished 19-7, winning league and district titles and ripping off a 16-game win streak after a 3-5 start.

End of an era for Pirates

For Davis, Wednesday’s loss was as much about legacy as scoreboard. Juarez, whose tenure included the 2012 4A state title and 2015 runner-up finish, called it a career after 20 years at Davis and 41 overall.

Hernandez, who scored 18 points against Puyallup, sits just behind Josh Williams’ atop the Pirates' all-time scoring list after his fourth straight trip to the Tacoma Dome .

The Pirates rallied late to take a 59-55 lead in the final minute, but Puyallup senior Drew Jones — who scored 26 — tied the game and the Vikings closed with an 8-1 run, helped by four late free throws after a foul and technical with 1.9 seconds left.

Davis finished 21-4, sparked by Hernandez  the emergence of juniors Damian Pimentel (15 points) and David Vazquez, whose corner trey briefly gave the Pirates the lead.