Todd Beamer's Titans fought hard for coach Heather Sugg and for the seniors, since it was "seniors night," and the combination of the two almost brought a victory against rival visitor Decatur.

"Almost," said, Sugg. "Almost."

The Gators won a game with such excitement and suspense, 47-46, not knowing of the victor until the very end -- with the Beamer girls not fighting with incentive like their counterpart boys that played the same day in Gator country for second place in the South Puget Sound League.

"I was trying to win for coach more than win for self," said Frantasia Johnson, a junior 5-6 guard on these 1-14 Titans that ended up in dead last in the SPSL South. The Gators won one more. "And the seniors."

Two good motivators for a fight there, especially the former motivation, as coach Sugg was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor about three weeks ago in mid January. Sugg was getting headaches and family, led by husband John, insisted she go in for a look from a doctor. A biopsy done -- with staples in place after skin taken off her head -- and five days of tears later the truth was known -- cancer.

It is inoperable but it's a "grade 2" cancer which is a less developed stage cancer than "grade 4," so radiation and hope are the two things Sugg has now.

Her team has been in tears since this.

"It's been real emotional," said Johnson, who tied Decatur's Kayla Lipston for game-high scorer with 12 points.

What's the season been like since? Sugg left the team and, to note, she had to go -- she was no longer supposed to coach per doctors orders.The risk of seizures, which clued Sugg in to her life-threatening problem along with massive headaches that could happen at any time, even driving.

Sugg has missed coaching games since the diagnosis changed her and John, not to mention their four children. But her team has not missed playing their hearts out, almost beating some teams, too, that they had no business even coming close to.

Take Puyallup for example, a team that crushed Beamer by 20 points the first season meeting back in December, but only lost the second regular season meeting, 43-37. And that game was on the road unlike the 20 point drubbing at home versus Puyallup. Plus, Puyallup is currently in third place in the SPSL South with a 12-3 league mark.

The girls also gave an overachieving effort games before that, including beating Spanaway Lake, a team in sixth place in league, while Beamer has one more game but will, no matter what -- since Decatur beat them twice this season -- finish last.

Johnson, the Titans' leading scorer in this game versus the Gators, had scored four points in the first season meeting versus their rival in December, a 43-31 loss. Johnson has around a 4.0 points per game scoring average this season, but really came alive in this game.

"Normally, I am really shy," said Johnson. "I have been inside of a shell, really holding it back. Tonight really showed me different playing."

Johnson made several nice dribble-drives to the basket for scores. That wasn't the only way the Titans scored as Mercedes Sullivan, a 5-7 guard, did a nice job of going to corner as Taylor Winton came running the lane to catch the ball and lay it in. Winton made some big points for her team, not enough in the end, but the 6-1 post was fighting hard for those plays to work.

"Those weren't even plays I wrote up," said Sugg, smiling.

The whole team was working hard out there.

"They continue to make improvements and great strides," said Sugg. "Almost there to make that leap. We are not in the postseason but you would never know it."

"Never know it," can attest to the close games against third-place Puyallup and sixth-place Spanaway Lake, and other games, too. The energy has been faithful as fill-in coach and assistant Dave Cox takes over as head coach.

One more game this season, but, for Sugg, there is so much more.

"Yes, one more game," said Sugg, agreeing. "Then after that last game, it's time to start talking about summer camps, and then next year we are going to go from 1-14 to 15-0."

Cheers for Beamer grew in intensity as the game went along, as a 26-21 score at halftime became 29-21 Decatur.

Against Decatur the first time, Beamer led 10-3 after the first quarter but then faded after that. In this game this time versus the Gators, the Titans were behind 14-12 after the first quarter, and, as said above, down five points, 26-21, at the half. In fact, even the third quarter, the Titans trailed, 34-29, as Gator had some fire in this game, too, led by Lipston and also Ayesia Rogers and Abby McFaul's energy.

But the game was soon evened, and then some, for the Titans to take the lead, 36-34, on a Sherie Green three-pointer with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Just great back-and-forth action as Kevin Rawie's Gators and Cox' Titans (with Sugg in an on-the-court chair next to Cox clapping her hands but not coaching) went sweat and tears and bruises to the end.

Green was knocked woozy in the final eight seconds of play as the Gators led, 47-46, but the Titans had the ball and on the inbounds pass and running downcourt Green was bumped aggressively and the game was over. It was emotion all over the place-every bit as much sports excitement as a game of championship state caliber.

It was as if these rivals girls basketball teams were playing against each other for more than a win. For one team, Beamer, that is true.

Maybe true for the other, too, because a lot of these girls could have played for Sugg as she coached at the Boys and Girls Club when these girls were in grade school. It was a lot more motivation than just a normal game, that's for sure.

For someone who is in a battle now for life.

"She's a fighter," said Johnson. "She makes us want to fight even harder."