Tahoma bounced back from a tough loss on Jan. 7 to Kentwood with a double digit victory, 54-40, over Kentlake on the road on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t an easy win, though, for the Bears, who were down 21-10 with 1:36 left in the first half but they closed the gap to 21-17 on back to back buckets in the final 28 seconds.

Tahoma senior captain Katie Buskey said transitioning from the loss against Kentwood meant coming out against Kentlake with more energy.

“In the Kentwood game, we came out flat in the first half,” Buskey said. “Kentlake is one of those teams you have to watch out for. We got a wake up call (in the first half).”

Buskey attributed better defense against Kentlake point guard Jessica Barnes in the second half as key to Tahoma’s victory.

It may have also had something to do with Buskey’s 14 points in the fourth quarter. She tallied 25 points for the game.

Freshman Jordan Eberhardt also heated up in the second half, contributing 15 points, while Chardonae Miller had seven rebounds in the game and Savanna Haverfield collected six boards.

With the win, Tahoma improved to 5-3 in South Puget Sound League play and 6-6 overall, while Kentlake dropped to 3-5 in league and 4-8 overall.

At the halfway point in the season, Tahoma coach Keith Wasberg said he felt good about the position the team is in at this point in the season, especially compared to past years.

“We’re in the best position we’ve ever been,” he said. “I’m really proud of what these girls have done.”

Tahoma travels to Auburn on Friday and while the Trojans are 3-5 in league, Buskey said, it’s best for the Bears to not look past that game.

Wasberg said, “That will be a big game for us. If we get that win, that will be big.”

Meanwhile, Kentlake takes on Kentwood again on Friday.