As Highline’s men’s basketball team gets into the groove of winter quarter, they continue to add to the excitement of their 2025 season. They have found themselves in nail-biter matchups that keep fans coming back for more. 

On Wednesday Jan. 29, the Thunderbirds hosted an electric NWAC conference matchup versus Tacoma Community College. 

The T-birds found difficulty in the beginning of their matchup. They struggled with defending the opposing team, which has been an important factor in finding success within their past matchups with tight scores. 

The crowd played a huge factor into the electricity of this matchup. You could hear loud booing from Highline’s fans, taunting the refs for not seeing Tacoma’s players committing travels on the court, along with some serious fouls that were not called by the refs. 

Highline went into the locker room down with a score of 30-46. They showed lots of resilience throughout the first half, and even though they were losing at the break, they still held a high head. 

As the second half went on, Highline was able to pick up their momentum on the court. The offense made a huge comeback, and was quickly able to tie the game up. The team got lots of help from sophomore Isaiah Vargas, who was the leading high scorer for the night with 26 points. 

The rest of the second half became a tug of war for both teams. Both sides of the crowd were on the edge of their seats, as the end of this matchup became a nail biter. 

In the end, with 12 seconds left, Highline was able to take a final lead and close the game out for a win with an end score of 76-72. While this win was not easy for the T-birds, they showed their true values as a team and left it all out on the court. 

Sophomore Keaine Silimon held a major role in this matchup, earning a double double for the night, with 25 points and 10 rebounds. 

In an interview with the Thunderword, head coach Che Dawson showed his appreciation for the team, and praised them for their hard work during the game. “You know I told these guys after the game, that win, the second half, had nothing to do with coaching, it had nothing to do with strategy, that had everything to do with character,” he said.

Highline has seen so much success this season. They currently have an overall record of 16-6, and a conference record of 4-3. Playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the NWAC, Highline has shown no sign of slowing down. 

The Thunderbirds next matchup was at home against cross town rivals, Green River. They hosted this matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., with results not available at presstime.