PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend boys basketball team went back to work Wednesday morning.
After practicing through Christmas and then playing two games in two days at the Crush in the Slush, both close losses, the Redhawks returned to the gym to get ready for Olympic League 1A play.
“Like I told the kids, if we want to compete for the league title coming out of the backside, we have to be willing to sacrifice and be willing to do every single thing to do that,” Port Townsend coach Tom Webster said Tuesday night.
And after a 1-7 start against a slate of Class 2A teams, tough 1A teams and 1B powerhouse Neah Bay, the Redhawks finally get to start playing games that matter, and that are likely more winnable, against Chimacum (0-7), Coupeville (4-3) and Klahowya (0-11).
Port Townsend followed its 53-46 loss to Neah Bay on Monday with a 55-50 loss to Seattle Christian on Tuesday.
The Redhawks hung around in the first three quarters. Whenever the Warriors built a lead, Port Townsend would respond in kind.
When Seattle Christian took a 38-29 lead, the largest of the game, with 5 minutes, 40 seconds left in the third quarter, the Redhawks reeled off nine straight points to tie the game at 38-38.
It was 42-42 when the third quarter ended.
Port Townsend scored eight of the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to open up a 50-44 lead, the Redhawks’ largest of the game, with 3:44
to play.
On a 21-6 run from the point it trailed by nine, Port Townsend appeared to be peaking at the right time.
Instead, they went cold when it mattered most, as Seattle Christian scored the final 11 points of the game.
Taggart Anderson, who led all scorers with 18 points, scored two straight buckets for the Warriors.
Payton Gunhus drove for a baskets to tie the score at 50-50 with 52 seconds left.
Then, following a turnover by Port Townsend, Gunhus hit a 3-pointer while the Redhawks were focused on Anderson to make it 53-50 with 25 seconds remaining.
“You don’t really want to give up a 3-ball,” Webster said.
“Not that that guy was necessarily their best shooter, so we hedged out on their best shooter, and then left that guy standing there, and, you know, I don’t know if that was a blind squirrel finding the acorn or he’s a good shooter.”
Port Townsend had plenty of time, but Berkley Hill slipped while dribbling against the Warriors’ full-court press, and Evan Troy hit two free throws to provide a five-point cushion.
The Redhawks had a few looks at 3-pointers in the final 17 seconds, but the shots didn’t drop.
Detrius Kelsall and Dillon Ralls led Port Townsend with 11 points each, and Seren Dances scored nine.
The Redhawks also got seven points from David Sua, four from Kaiden Parcher and three from Patrick Charlton.
“One of our focus points was getting the ball inside,” Webster said.
“And we did. Kaiden got some inside points, Patrick got some inside points, and David got some inside points.
“So we didn’t just live and die by the 3-ball.”
Port Townsend, already 1-0 in Olympic League 1A, next faces league foe Coupeville (1-0, 4-3) next Wednesday.
The Redhawks enter league with two losses that Webster hopes will be beneficial down the road.
“With this team, if we can be in position to win, that’s the first step, and then [comes] actually winning and being able to convert these games,” Webster said.
“And I always say, sometimes you got to be in these games early in the season to convert them on the back end.
Seattle Christian is the Crush in the Slush boys tournament winner by going 2-0 and allowing fewer points, 87, than the only other 2-0 boys team, Neah Bay, which gave up 95 to Port Townsend and Nooksack Valley.
Seattle Christian and Neah Bay combined to score 108 points on Port Townsend at the two-day tournament.
Not too shabby.
“I think we improved defensively both games,” Webster said.
“I mean, we played two quality opponents and they didn’t rip off a ton of points.
“They were two winnable ball games. So that’s encouraging.”
Seattle Christian 55, Port Townsend 50
Seattle Christian 20 9 13 13— 55
Port Townsend 14 12 16 8— 50
Individual scoring
Seattle Christian (55)
Gunhus 9, Toy 10, Anderson 18, Gifford 2, Saggau 7, Loorem 5, VanderLey 4, Hohimer, Berquist, McKenna-Kier.
Port Townsend (50)
Dances 9, Ralls 11, Boucher 2, Sua 7, Kelsall 11, Hill 3, Charlton 3, Parcher 4.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
