MATTAWA — The Wahluke girls closed their high school basketball season with 58-45 loss at Connell, but coach Brock Anderson found reason to rejoice.

It had been a tough season, again, and Connell had decimated Anderson’s Warriors, 64-10, at Mattawa just three weeks earlier.

“Their effort at Connell was one of my proudest moments for a team in more than 20 years of coaching against Connell,” Anderson said. “It was a pretty amazing turnaround.”

Most of the game, the margin of difference on the scoreboard hovered between six and nine points. The Mattawa girls had reason to believe they could win until nearly the end.

“We had to foul in an effort to try to pull out a victory,” Anderson said.

The game was added good news for Anderson after the previous four games. His program had become competitive.

Anderson’s girls improved from a 30-point loss to a 10-point loss against River View. They went from a 20-point loss to Kittitas to a five-point loss.

“I think this is the team we thought we’d be all year. It just took a little longer to get here,” Anderson said.

Kaylynn Bailey led the Warriors with a double-double of 14 points and 18 rebounds. Jackie Hidalgo scored 15 points, and Blanca Gutierrez scored 11.