PORT ANGELES — For 19 minutes, a tall and defensively tough Bainbridge boys basketball team seemed to have Port Angeles on the ropes.
But at the 5-minute mark of the third quarter, the Roughriders reached down somewhere and flipped a switch and seemingly turned into a totally different team. And it was a ferocious team.
Port Angeles dug out of a huge hole against a good 3A team and sprinted to the finish line for a stunning 64-53 win over the Spartans, doubling up Bainbridge by a 44-22 second half margin.
It was the second comeback win of the season over the Spartans, the first coming Jan. 4 in a 74-67 road win which saw the Riders rally from a 65-60 deficit with 3:05 left to play.
Thursday’s rally was even more impressive as the third and fourth quarters featured a 28-9 run over a seven-minute stretch that turned a 35-23 deficit into a 51-44 Riders’ lead early in the final frame. Bainbridge made one last little run, but the Riders responded with a 10-2 spurt to put the game out of reach.
Kason Albaugh was deadly in the second half, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring all 13 of his points in the final 16 minutes.
“We just brought up our energy and effort,” Albaugh said.
Port Angeles coach Kasey Ulin pointed out that Bainbridge just beat Bremerton, which is ranked No. 6 in the state in Ratings Percentage Index.
“That’s a state tournament team in 2A,” he said.
Everything was going Bainbridge’s way early. The Spartans, a team chock full of 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4 players, were hitting 3-pointers and went into a triangle zone to take away Parker Nickerson’s scoring, while forcing 11 Port Angeles turnovers in the first half. They had a lead as big as 29-15 at one point and had a steal and a basket at end of the second quarter to take a 31-20 lead into the halftime break.
“We challenged [our players] at halftime more than they had ever been challenged before, and they responded amazingly,” Ulin said.
“Their triangle and one on Parker affected us. We had lapses defensively,” Ulin said. “Their game plan worked really well.”
Ulin said the team made offensive adjustments at halftime and went into a 1-3-1 zone itself, causing 15 Bainbridge turnovers in the second half. The Riders only made two turnovers the whole second half.
Albaugh said Bainbridge’s height did gave the Riders trouble early.
“They’re pretty lengthy. We found a way. That’s what high school basketball is all about, especially this time of year. Finding a way,” Albaugh said.
Still down 42-36 late in the third, Dallas Dunning sparked a huge run with a 3-pointer, followed by Albaugh’s first trey to tie the game 42-all at the end of the third.
Albaugh and Nickerson scored to open the fourth, then Nickerson hit a three to make it 51-44.
After Bainbridge hit a couple of shots to get within three, Albaugh hit two quick 3-pointers and Isaiah Shamp had a bucket to make it 61-50 with 2:40 left. The Spartans could only manage one more field goal after that.
“Kason just hit big shot after big shot,” Ulin said.
He also said reserves Ezra Townsend and Alex Angevine made big plays in that wild second half.
“There is a resiliency and toughness and love for each other in that locker room,” Ulin said.
The Riders won despite shooting just 10-for-25 on their free throws. Shamp was effective inside, scoring 20 and repeatedly drawing fouls against the Spartans, who committed 28 fouls and had three players foul out.
Nickerson finished with 16. Dallas Dunning scored 10, including two 3-pointers in the second half.
The victory moves Port Angeles (8-2, 12-5, No. 13 RPI) into a second-place Olympic League tie with Bremerton. It won’t get any easier for the Riders as they next face powerhouse North Kitsap (10-0, 13-3, No. 5) at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Port Angeles 64, Bainbridge 53
Bainbridge 15 16 11 11 — 53
Port Angeles 7 13 22 22 — 64
Bainbridge (53) — Thielman 22, Davis 15, Nylund 10, McCarter 4, Hill 2.
Port Angeles (64) — Shamp 20, Nickerson 16, Albaugh 13, Dunning 10, G. Halberg 3, Townsend 2.
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Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Port Angeles’ Dallas Dunning, left, looks to pass around Bainbridge’s Calum McCarter on Thursday night at Port Angeles High School.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Port Angeles’ Kason Albaugh, right, slips around Bainbridge’s Calum McCarter during Thursday’s game on the Roughrider home court.
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Port Angeles’ Gus Halberg, left, avoids being tripped up by Bainbridge’s Kaden Thielman on Thursday in Port Angeles.
