The Sioux Falls Washington boys basketball team went into 14-3 Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Friday, Feb. 20, riding a two-game skid and in desperate need of a win to stay securely in the Class AA SoDak 16.
The Warriors left the Rough Riders' raucous gym with a 61-56 win and reason to celebrate thanks to a Jhace Woods and-one with 30.2 seconds to play.
JHACE WOODS FOR THE LEAD. Washington up 58-56 after the senior makes the free throw with 29.5 to go. @ArgusSportspic.twitter.com/B9EbJJmwR6
— Paul Cifonelli (@PCifonelli) February 21, 2026
Woods rebounded a Sam Uhing layup and put it back up while being fouled and put Washington up 58-56 after making the free throw.
"Just stay composed because I still had to make the free throw to keep us up," Woods said. "And, just don't make any stupid mistakes."
The Warriors then picked Deondre Painter's pocket on the other end, and Uhing ended up sinking a pair from the line to ice the game.
"Just make both and it's a win, so I was ready to go," Uhing said. "I've repped that a lot of times."
Washington and Roosevelt went back and forth all night, and the Warriors blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Rough Riders went on a 10-0 run to turn a 52-46 deficit into a 56-52 lead, but were then shut out the rest of the way after a timeout from Washington head coach Jeff Tobin.
"Honestly, together we came into the huddle and we preach all the time about staying locked in, staying there mentally," Uhing said. "I think we were repeating our values in that last surge, and we made some plays and that kept it going."
The Roosevelt crowd was up and rocking after that big run, but the Warriors were able to find a little more energy and juice to get the job done.
"It's having that dog mentality," Woods said. "Don't give up, keep up the fight through the adversity. There was a good crowd tonight, but we stayed in our heads, played together as a team and came out with a win."
Washington is now 7-10 and has endured a four-game losing streak, a three-game skid and, most recently, a two-game losing streak. But the Warriors played like a top team in South Dakota on Friday, showcasing some major confidence in big moments.
"Them being a top team, we play hard no matter who it is, but playing at Roosevelt against a pretty good team in the state, we were a little hungrier this time," Woods said.
Going into a rival's gym, silencing their crowd and pulling through when their backs were up against the wall is a major point of confidence for this Warriors team, and they hope it sent a message to the rest of Class AA.
"This was a statement," Woods said. "It shows we can beat anyone and teams should be afraid of us."
This is Washington's second win over a 14-win side this year, having beaten Watertown 77-68 on Friday, Feb. 6. Tobin knows his team is capable of this, and is happy his guys got to make their second "statement" of the season.
"We kind of said that a week or two ago when we had Watertown, that we need to make a statement that we're a good basketball team," Tobin said. "We were able to do that. We played well that night, then we were able to go to Brandon and found a way to win as well."
Brekken Biteler with a three ball for Washington, and the Warriors hold a 38-33 lead with 2:58 left in the third. @ArgusSportspic.twitter.com/OsenzsWlwr
— Paul Cifonelli (@PCifonelli) February 21, 2026
The adversity faced Friday night is comforting for a coach, especially given the roller coaster his guys have been on. Tobin was proud of the way his guys responded and the fearlessness they played with, especially in the fourth quarter.
"It says a lot about what this team can become, and we know all it takes this time of year is to catch a little fire and find a little momentum, and you can do anything to finish the year," Tobin said.
Tobin acknowledged the vast peaks and valleys of this season, but he had a simple message for his guys about how they can turn this big win into more sustained success the rest of the way.
"You can be anything you want to be, but you have to be it every day at practice. You have to be it every day in the weight room. You have to be it every time you step on the floor," Tobin said.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Washington boys basketball earns 'statement' win in upset of Roosevelt