PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles continued to use its tried-and-true formula this season to pummel Olympic 75-39 to remain unbeaten in Olympic League 2A Division boys basketball play.
The Roughriders used their deep bench, strong rebounding and deft passing to crush the Trojans on Tuesday night.
Port Angeles came out strong on defense, not allowing an Olympic basket until 30 seconds remained in the first quarter, with the Riders already holding an 18-0 lead.
Port Angeles’ Chase Cobb, right, battles for a rebound with Olympic’s Caleb Erickson, left, and Kendall McInnis during Tuesday’s game in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
At one point after a 29-8 scoring run, Port Angeles held a lead of 53-19 late in the third quarter before letting up just a bit on the defensive intensity.
A big part of the Riders’ formula is their bench. Eleven Port Angeles players scored, four players scored in double figures and seven players scored at least five points.
Anton Kathol, hitting a pretty mid-range jumper all night, led the team with 14 points, while post Damen Ringgold had 12. Bench players John Vaara and Xander Maestas each had 10 points, all of their points coming in the second half. Maestas hit a pair of 3-pointers on the way to double digits.
Dru Clark hit three 3-pointers and finished with nine points for Port Angeles.
Port Angeles’ Damen Ringgold goes for a layup as teammate Derek Bowechop, left, looks on during Friday night’s game against Olympic in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
The Riders actually struggled a bit in the second quarter. The Trojans managed to hang around, clawing back to a 24-11 deficit with about a minute left in the half.
Port Angeles had trouble scoring in the second period, while the Trojans likely blew a chance to really make a game of it by going 0 for 6 from the free-throw line.
The Riders started that 29-8 run at the end of the half with a Kathol rebound and putback for a basket. Then Clark hit a 3-pointer at the end of the half to give Port Angeles a 29-11 lead at the break.
The spurt continued in the second half as Clark hit another 3-pointer to open up the third period and Kathol followed with a basket. The Riders pushed the lead to 36-11 after a pair of Ringgold free throws and at that point, the result of the game was never in doubt. The Riders poured in 29 points in that third quarter, ending on a fadeaway 3-pointer by Clark at the buzzer to make it 58-23 at the end of three.
Ulin said the team talked at the break about executing the offense better after that sluggish second quarter allowed Olympic to stay in the game.
“Our execution died in the second quarter. We were out of sync,” Ulin said. “In the second half, we attacked the gaps, we were slashing hard. We were much more effective.
“This team is not a finished product. It isn’t my job to tell the guys how awesome they are,” Ulin said.
Port Angeles’ Wyatt Dunning, center, makes a pass as Olympic defenders, from left, Cadyn Kinsfather, Malcom DeWalt and Kendall McInnis at Port Angeles Highs School on Tuesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
With his rebounding strength inside and an effective mid-range shot that he hit all night, Kathol could likely average 20 points a game. But, he’s sharing minutes and points with a deep bench and doesn’t mind.
“A point for anyone is a point for the team,” Kathol said. “There’s no egos.”
Kathol said the secret to the Riders’ 4-0 start to Olympic League play (and 9-2 overall and ranked No. 7 in the state RPI for 2A schools) is “sticking to our DNA. Relentless effort and team-first attitude.”
Ringgold is thriving in his first year at the varsity level.
“We work the ball well, we know what we’re going to do. I absolutely love this team with all my heart,” said Ringgold.
Port Angeles scored from all over the court, doing a lot of damage inside on fast breaks caused by steals or with great interior passing to players cutting to the hoop. Kathol hit several shots in the 12-to-15-foot range and the team hit a total of seven 3-pointers.
How dominant can this team be? In their nine victories, they’re averaging 73 points a game and their average margin of victory in those games is 26 points — and that even includes a pair of one-point victories.
Interestingly, the No. 1-ranked in the team in the state’s RPI, Burlington-Edison, beat this Port Angeles team by a mere three points to open the season. The Riders best win so far is an Olympic League victory over the No. 3-ranked team, North Kitsap, in dramatic fashion earlier this season.
Port Angeles visits a good Bremerton team (3-1, 7-3), looking to stay unbeaten in league at 7 p.m. Friday.
Port Angeles 75, Olympic 39
Olympic 2 9 12 16— 39
Port Angeles 18 11 29 17— 75
Olympic (39) — McInnis 10, DeWalt 9, Barley 7, Lindal 7, Holland 2, Kinsfather 2, Mejia 1, Geir 1.
Port Angeles (75) — Kathol 14, Ringgold 12, Maestas 10, Vaara 10, Clark 9, Johnson 7, Methner 5, Nickerson 3, Hall 2, Jarnigan 2, Cobb 1
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Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
