It’s been a long first season for Auburn Riverside head coach Eddie George, but he finally recorded his first win in his team’s final game of the season.

“It was really big today. Going 0-20 or whatever it was, I couldn’t even imagine going 0-20,” George said.

The Ravens defeated Yelm 85-65 in their 21st game of the season on Feb. 5 at home. It’s their first win since Dec. 14, 2024, against Fife at Highline College.

That’s 36 games without a win. George knew the challenge he signed up for, but to go through a 20-game schedule and not win a single contest took a toll. It took a lot to keep the locker room together, George said after the win.

“When you are losing, the locker room is in shambles. It was hard for us to keep the locker room how it is supposed to be because the guys want to win,” George said.

But now the weight is lifted off the shoulders of everyone involved with the Ravens team, which has a different vibe going into the offseason.

“When I came in here I knew from the beginning that the guys needed a lot of work. They hadn’t really been taught the right way to play the game. This year I knew it was going to be more of a mentorship. I just wanted to give the boys something they could use in everyday life after basketball,” George said.

Auburn Riverside senior Diing Diing posts up a player from Yelm. Ben Ray / The Reporter

Auburn Riverside and the Tornados went back and forth in the first quarter as both teams in this case were searching for their first win of the season. Auburn Riverside took an 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, and senior Diing Diing had his best quarter of the night to open up.

The senior has one of the most incredible stories, coming from a Kenyan refugee camp and finding basketball in his early life in America. He finished his final basketball game with 21 points after scoring 11 points in the first quarter.

“He’s such a sweetheart, he’s such a gentle giant. He was here every day, in good spirits, wanted to learn. I am so happy for him. What a way to end your senior career,” George said.

From there, Isaiah Keitt took over for George’s Ravens. Keitt had just three points after the first quarter, but he finished the game with 27 points. As a junior, Keitt has been the Ravens number one option on offense, and next year he will be the driving force for the Ravens.

“He’s a stud,” Geroge said. “He’s never played in the summer, maybe a little AAU here or there. But that’s just raw talent. I am excited about being here this summer where we can just grind and get to work.”

At halftime, Auburn Riverside took a 40-36 lead to the locker room. This season Auburn Riverside had scored under 40 points five different times in an entire game, let alone take the lead at the end of two quarters.

Against Auburn, the Ravens held the Trojans to just 11 points in the second half. For George and his team, that was something to take from a game that is relatively forgettable.

“Anything positive, you can build off that. They said ‘Well coach if we can play hard against Auburn, we can play hard against these guys.’ Their spirits were high and they expected to win (against Yelm),” George said.

Keitt took Auburn Riverside over the finish line along with senior Adonis Harris, who had 10 second-half points. The Ravens’ 85 points is the most they have scored all season, and the most they have scored in a game since their final game in the 2023-24 season, an 86-69 win over Bonney Lake on Feb. 3, 2024.

It had been 733 days since Auburn Riverside scored 85 points or more. “Getting the win feels like I got that gorilla off my chest. It feels amazing,” George said.

Auburn Riverside has a long way to go, especially with crosstown rival Auburn competing at the top of the state, year in and year out. “We knew it was going to be rough. We didn’t know how rough, but we signed up for this. From where I came from, eight out of my nine years I’ve had a 70% win percentage. We aren’t used to losing. I can learn something from this as well. You gotta be humble and appreciate the good things that happen,” George said.

“We gotta lace up our boots, and see what happens,” he said.