Suddenly, second place and a spot in the district championship are in sight for the Davis boys basketball team.

The Pirates won for the fourth time in five games, rallying from seven points down at the start of the fourth quarter to beat Moses Lake 80-78 in CBBN action Thursday night at the Pirate Ship.

BOYS STANDINGS/GIRLS STANDINGS

Davis sophomore Marcus Smith poured in a career-high 35 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, and D’Anthony Wiggins scored six of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, sinking a free throw for the final margin with 1.6 seconds remaining.

“Finally, we got things going our way,” first-year Davis coach Raul Alvarado said. “It’s seemed that playing at home hasn’t been like playing at home.”

The Pirates had dropped two straight conference games in their gym before Thursday.

“These kids have heart and are playing their butts off,” he said.

Davis outscored the Mavericks 22-13 in the fourth quarter, as Alvarado preached three stops-and-three scores.

Smith scored 14 of his points in the third quarter.

Damien Pimentel scored 14 points, knocking down four of the Pirates’ 12 treys, and David Vasquez added 11.

Tyce Miller led the Mavericks with 25 points, Brady Jay had 21 and Grady Walker chipped in 13.

Davis (6-4 CBBN, 6-12 overall) and Moses Lake (6-4, 11-6) are a game behind Sunnyside (6-2, 11-5). 

The Pirates are off until Tuesday when they visit the Grizzlies, then host Wenatchee on Feb. 13 to cap the conference season.

Sunnyside faces a tough schedule, with West Valley coming to town Friday and a trip to Eastmont on Saturday.

After entertaining the Pirates, the Grizzlies visit Moses Lake in the regular-season finale.

The Mavericks head to Eastmont on Friday.

Second place earns a team a spot in the Feb. 19 district championship at West Valley, which has secured the top seed.

Seeds three through six have to win twice to get to a winner-to-state game against the loser of the district final.

In Thursday’s opener, the top-ranked and defending Class 4A champion Davis girls rolled past Moses Lake 71-13 with Kobe Johnson leading the way with 20 points. Averie Brandt and Isa Garcia each had a dozen for the Pirates.

Davis wrapped up its fourth straight outright championship with the victory, and is two victories away from its third straight unbeaten run through the CBBN.