The Cashmere Bulldogs saw their postseason run take a hit Friday night as they fell to the unbeaten Zillah Leopards, 75-56, in the District 5 Tournament semifinals in Zillah.

With the victory, the Leopards (22-0) secured a berth in the 1A State Tournament and will face the Royal Knights in the district championship game next Friday night at Toppenish High School. The Bulldogs (15-8) will now turn their attention to a loser-out contest against the Wapato Wolves next Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Cashmere High School.

Zillah defeated Cashmere for the third time this season and showed why it holds the top ranking in the state. The Leopards came out firing, building a commanding 25-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. Junior Budda Aranda, a Wapato transfer, electrified the home crowd by drilling a half-court shot at the buzzer to push the lead to 13 after one.

The momentum carried into the second quarter as Zillah continued to apply pressure on both ends of the floor. By halftime, the Leopards had stretched their advantage to 44-21 and never looked back.

To their credit, the Bulldogs showed resilience after the break, playing the Leopards even in the second half. Cashmere battled possession by possession, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Senior Tobie Larson led the Bulldogs with 17 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Junior Colton Stendera added 10 points, while sophomore Jackson Binger contributed eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. Sophomore Mac Carlson filled the stat sheet with six points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Senior Tom McDevitt chipped in six points and two rebounds, and senior Rylan Hatmaker added four points, three assists, and two steals.

The Bulldogs now face a must-win situation Tuesday night when they host Wapato. The two teams split their regular season matchups, with each defending its home floor.

A victory on Tuesday would keep Cashmere’s season alive and guarantee the Bulldogs at least two additional games, including a winner-to-state crossover opportunity. Tipoff is tentatively scheduled for 6:00 p.m., but if the Cashmere girls are also hosting a playoff game that evening, the start time will move to 7:00 p.m.