TACOMA — The Port Angeles boys basketball team’s district tournament run came to an end with a 61-51 loss to Renton at Foss High School.
“Unfortunately, all good things come to an end,” Roughriders coach Kasey Ulin said.
Port Angeles finishes the season 11-12 (6-6, tied for fourth in Olympic League 2A), and went 1-2 at the District 2/3 tournament.
Renton overwhelmed the Riders early and controlled the start of Monday’s game.
“Renton was as advertised. They were athletic and quick and long. They came out and jumped on us a little bit early,” Ulin said.
“But we came back and stayed poised, and we found a rhythm in the second quarter.”
The Riders still trailed by seven at halftime, 26-19, but really got going in the third quarter.
“We had a five- or six-minute stretch that in my opinion was our best five- or six-minute stretch of the season,” Ulin said.
“We were holding them to one-and-out, turning them over. And offensively we were shooting the ball really well.”
Senior Janson Pederson had eight points during that stretch, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Luke Angevine also hit a trey.
Pederson, one of Port Angeles’ three outgoing seniors, became more of a scoring threat in the postseason. He also hit an important 3-pointer in the Riders’ overtime win over Sammamish on Friday.
“He gave us a big spark throughout the playoffs,” Ulin said.
The Indians’ deeper bench — Ulin said they rotated 10 players — became an asset in the fourth quarter. Renton also was helped by the Riders’ struggles at the free-throw line.
“They made plays, they came back,” Ulin said.
“We missed seven free throws in the fourth quarter. You can’t do that in postseason basketball.”
Ulin was proud of the Riders’ season, his second as coach.
“They played well, they did a great job,” he said.
“It was a tough loss and it stings . . . but you look back at how far the program has come, and the program is going in the right direction.
“This is a special group. It really shows how much work they put in.
“They accepted their roles, and guys bought into the program and into the team.”
Along with Pederson, Port Angeles will lose Lambros Rogers and Tanner Gochnour to graduation.
Rogers notched another double-double in his final game for the Riders.
He averaged more than 12 points and 12 rebounds this season, and in three district games he had 37 points and 51 rebounds.
Noah McGoff led Port Angeles on Monday with 15 points, and Grayson Peet finished with 12. Ulin credited the Riders’ starting backcourt, who are both juniors, with the team’s scoring increase at districts.
“They stopped thinking as much, they just went out and played,” Ulin said.
“Sometimes you think too much and you become robots, and basketball is a free-flowing game.”
Also returning next year is double-digit scorer Luke Angevine, also a junior, as well as sophomores Carson Shamp and Colton McGuffey, who saw a lot of playing time.
Liam Clark, Easton Joslin, Kyle Benedict and Garrett Edwards also spent time with the varsity squad.
“It will be really fun in the future,” Ulin said. “There’s a good group coming back.”
Renton 61, Port Angeles 51
Port Angeles 7 12 17 15— 51
Renton 13 13 12 23— 61
Individual scoring
Port Angeles (51)
Peet 12, McGoff 15, Angevine 6, Pederson 8, Rogers 10.
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Compiled using team report.
