Todd Beamer High School boys basketball head coach Brent Brilhante has never enjoyed coaching a group more than the 2024-25 Titans. But after a 72-64 double overtime loss to Gig Harbor in the opening round of the West Central District Tournament on Feb. 12, he had a blunt message for them.

“They might go down as my favorite team I have ever coached. They are fantastic people. But I told them I have never been more disappointed in effort than tonight,” Brilhante said.

The Titans were given the number five seed and hosted the 12th seeded Gig Harbor Tides. But the Tides didn’t play like a 12 seed, and instead stayed right with Todd Beamer, even leading the game in the second half and late in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t sustain any kind of pressure during any time in the game,” Brilhante said.

After regulation, the game was tied at 52-52, and the two sides needed not just one overtime period, but a second. Todd Beamer was even lucky to get to a second overtime after Terrence Whiting made a three-point basket with two seconds left to tie the game at 59-59. Gig Harbor’s Ty Buchanan was fouled with 0.6 seconds left on the clock, and he missed all three free throws.

Buchanan then went 6-for-6 on free throws in the second overtime period. In total, the Tides shot 51 free throws and made 32 of them. Todd Beamer had only 28 attempts. Brilhante didn’t see his side as the more physical side either.

“It’s playoff basketball, but it wasn’t the way it was called. There were a lot of fouls in regulation that were just weird,” Brilhante said.

In the fourth quarter, Todd Beamer needed a godsend to even think about overtime, let alone win the game. The answer was from Koebyn Purser, who had just one point before the final frame. He proceeded to score seven points and even took the lead 51-50 on a three-pointer.

“He’s the one that came in, played his role and played hard. That’s all we ask the kids to do,” Brilhante said.

Purser was one of a few players who in Brilhante’s eyes showed up for a playoff game. Despite in the first quarter the Titans led 18-7, he felt a lack of intensity leading up to and during the game.

“We didn’t deserve to win this game. There was no want to win this game, they were afraid to lose. It went from the top on down. Body language was not good. I don’t know how because we jumped on them quick,” Brilhante said.

The Tides used a prolific second quarter to pull themselves back into the game — a 14-2 run over the first five minutes of the second to take a 21-20 lead. From there, the two sides were locked in battle.

In the third quarter, the Titans’ scoring woes continued as they made just two field goals the entire quarter. The Titans might have been victim to settling during the middle stages of the game. Whiting’s game is driving to the basket, but against the Tides, he shot 13 three-pointers.

“That’s not his game. He decided to settle when he could have got downhill. I think the refs loved blowing the whistle. He would have shot more free throws,” said Brilhante.

The Titans now need to win two games with their season on the line in the losers bracket of the district tournament. Their first game is against Evergreen (Vancouver) on Feb. 14 at Todd Beamer High School.

Todd Beamer senior Terrence Whiting gets around the Gig Harbor defense. Ben Ray / The Mirror