BOYS BASKETBALL: Port Angeles digs deep defensively, dumps Bainbridge

PORT ANGELES — A stout defensive effort by Port Angeles badgered Bainbridge into a poor shooting night and forced 22 turnovers on the way to a 62-31 Olympic League boys basketball triumph Tuesday.

“Defensively, we held them to 19 percent shooting, and for a team like Bainbridge (6-5, 8-6) that has great movement and can shoot it, that’s excellent,” Roughriders coach Kasey Ulin said.

“Our goal right now is to form into a championship-level defense, and the kids are buying in. We were effective with our ball pressure, our rotations, and we dominated them 52-21 on the glass, out-rebounded them by 30, so we controlled the paint.”

Doing much of the controlling was Riders frontcourt duo Wyatt Dunning and John Vaara.

Vaara returned from an injury that sidelined him for a couple of games to post a 14-point, 18-rebound, five-block effort.

“He’s feeling better and does so much for us on both ends,” Ulin said.

Dunning had an off shooting night but still posted a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

“They combined for 30 rebounds and 32 points and are really one of the best frontcourts in the state,” Ulin said.

Xander Maestas had 15 points and received praise for his energy on the court, while Parker Nickerson, Damon Gunderson, Jeremiah Hall and Michael Soule all stepped up defensively in the win, Ulin said.

Port Angeles (6-0, 8-3) is scheduled to play at Associated Press Class 2A No. 1 North Kitsap (8-0, 13-2) tonight.

B 7 8 11 5 — 31

PA 19 14 11 18 — 62

Port Angeles (62): Dunning 18, Maestas 15, Vaara 14, Soule 5, Hunter 4, Nickerson 4, Hall 2, Gunderson.

Neah Bay 67, Crescent 44

JOYCE — Four Red Devils hit double figures in scoring against a game, but short-handed, Loggers’ squad.

Julian Carrick led Neah Bay with 19 points, Makiyah Chambers added 18 and Joell Wimberly and Jaden Halttunen each hit 10 in the win.

With just six Crescent players in uniform, fatigue set in during a rough second quarter, and the Red Devils pushed their lead from six after one quarter to 22 points at halftime.

“Even if we came up short on the scoreboard, there’s just so much to be proud of,” Loggers coach Chris Ferrier said.

“Conner [14 points] and Brayden [game-high 28 points] really played their hearts out. Dom Sprague and Henry Bourm and Terrell Emery have been pressed into new roles that have been necessitated by the shifting dynamic of our team, and they’re getting a lot of on-the-job learning. Hayden [Ferrel] was his normal steady self. There’s just a lot to be proud of.”

Neah Bay (3-0, 5-3) and Crescent (2-1, 7-4) are next scheduled to play Feb. 1.

NB 18 26 18 5 — 67

C 12 10 8 14 — 44

Neah Bay (67): Carrick 19, Chambers 18, Wimberly 10, J. Halttunen 10, Butterfield 7, D. Halttunen 3, Swan.

Crescent (44): B. Emery 28, Ferro-May 14, Ferrel 6, Bourm 4, T. Emery 2, Sprague.

Raymond 58, Forks 49

RAYMOND — The Spartans made too many mistakes to take down a talented Seagulls squad on the road in a scrap for the postseason seeding in the Pacific League.

“We had a ton of unforced, not strong with the basketball-type tunrovers,” Forks coach Rick Gooding said. “They rebound really well, too, so not a lot of second- chance opportunities for us offensively.

“Mix turnovers and not shooting your best, and it will be tough to win ball games on the road. We didn’t execute real well. We knew what they were going to run, and we still had troubles, and that’s on me as the coach for not preparing well.”

Forks (6-4, 8-8) is scheduled to host Northwest Christian tonight.

F 9 20 7 13 — 49

R 15 13 14 16 — 58

Forks (49): Olson 20, Pursley 10, Lausche 7, Northcut 7, Salazar 3, Rancourt 1, Doyle 1.