PORT ANGELES — Neah Bay put on a clinic on how to defeat a 2-3 zone defense in a 81-44 victory over Mount Vernon Christian in the 1B Tri-District boys basketball tournament at Port Angeles High School.
The Red Devils painstakingly worked through their offensive sets to clear space for open 3-point shooters, and attacked holes in the zone with well-timed passes for easy layups in Saturday’s game.
“We had time at practice to work on the open spots within the defense,” Neah Bay coach Stan Claplanhoo said.
“We were pretty prepared for them. They ran the same stuff as they did [Thursday] against Chief Kitsap, and we were able to take advantage.”
The Red Devils (16-2), who are ranked fourth in 1B by The Associated Press, advance to face the second-ranked Seattle Lutheran Saints (20-1) in the Tri-District semifinals today at 6:15 p.m. at Mount Vernon Christian High School.
The winner of that game is assured of a winner-to-state regional contest the weekend of Feb. 26-27.
A 13-0 run over four minutes of the first and second quarters gave Neah Bay a 28-11 lead and all the cushion it needed against Mount Vernon Christian.
The Red Devils moved the ball well to start the second quarter, as Jericho McGimpsey found Anthony Bitegeko inside for a score.
Bitegeko returned the favor on the next trip down, setting up McGimpsey for a bucket.
“Sharing the ball, that was big,” Claplanhoo said. “Coach [Ben] Maxson and I said to each other how much we enjoyed the type of basketball we played tonight.
“The extra pass means so much more.”
The Red Devils had 26 assists on 31 made baskets.
Ryan Moss rocked the Hurricanes for 12 of his game-high 28 points in the second quarter as Neah Bay built a 41-18 halftime lead.
Kenrick Doherty Jr. stepped up to hit 12 of his 26 points in the third quarter, including three 3s, as the Red Devils managed to build their lead despite hot-shooting from Mount Vernon Christian (4 of 7 on 3s), and led 65-41 heading to the final period.
Doherty and Moss each hit six 3-pointers in the game.
“It was nice to see Ryan and Kenrick get their shots going,” Claplanhoo said.
“I was really impressed with the patience we showed within the offense, setting things up and running the sets.
“It’s that time of year, possession basketball.”
Doherty’s deep shots canceled out three third-quarter treys from Mount Vernon Christian’s leading scorer, Bryson Smith.
Smith scored 11 in the third and 15 on the game for the Hurricanes.
Doherty, facilitating for much of the game due to foul trouble to Rwehabura Munyagi Jr., said Neah Bay has improved its ability to share the ball as the season has progressed.
“We play open gym in the community gym almost every night, and it’s an adjustment,” Doherty said.
“That style is more one dribble and shoot.
“We started the season with more of a one-on-one game, and as the season goes on we’ve gotten better and better at distributing the ball.
“Sometimes it gets better and better even during a game.”
Up big, Doherty added some style points with two superb passes in the fourth quarter.
First, he led Munyagi with an half-court-length bounce pass for a layup.
Then he found Bitegeko with a behind-the-head pass from near the baseline for another easy basket inside.
“That’s more of the open-gym stuff,” Doherty said. “I usually don’t do that stuff in the heat of the moment because a turnover could be the difference in a close game.
“Rweha had a perfect lane, so the bounce pass was there.
“The other play, I saw [Bitegeko] behind me and fed him.”
Seattle Lutheran advanced to the semifinals by routing defending 1B champion Lummi 68-44 on Saturday.
The winner of today’s game is off until the Tri-District championship game, against either Shorewood Christian or Evergreen Lutheran, on Saturday.
Today’s loser plays a loser-out game Thursday against Orcas Christian or Tulalip Heritage.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
