SEQUIM — Sequim’s focus may have been more on Fife and future district foes, but the end result was a ferocious 92-22 defeat of an overmatched Foster Bulldogs squad on Wednesday.
The contest, a first-round Class 2A West Central District girls basketball playoff game, was no contest from the start as the Wolves rattled off the first seven points and ran out to a 25-6 lead after one quarter.
A rematch of last season’s state regional round classic — which saw Sequim rally from an 18-point second-half deficit to advance to the state tournament went decisively in the Wolves’ favor. Foster graduated all players who scored in that game — while Sequim lost one senior.
“We needed to focus on what we needed to do to get better knowing that we were potentially going to face Fife, who is a very solid team,” Wolves coach Linsay Rapelje said.
“I did try and mix some things up for us, do some things that we don’t normally do defensively and some things we need to work on. Offensively, we tried to work on some plays but we obviously had more fast-break opportunities. But making the girls understand when to pull the ball out and run through some things. We were trying to work on all those things, but it’s hard. I played my bench and we did all we could to be good sports while still preparing for another playoff game.”
Sequim (16-5) will face Fife (19-3), the third-place team out of the South Puget Sound League, tonight at Fife at 7 p.m. with a state regional spot on the line.
Conor Dowley/Olympic Peninsula News Group Sequim’s Jessica Dietzman puts up a layup during a district playoff win over Foster. Dietzman scored 18 points with five steals and four assists.
The Wolves took advantage of numerous Bulldogs’ turnovers and attacked the rim repeatedly via fast-break runouts or through passes into the post in their half-court sets.
Melissa Porter led Sequim with 19 points.
She scored 15 of them in the first half, and 14 of them coming on fast breaks, overall.
“Melissa had a great fast-break game, that really got her going and that’s her game,” Rapelje said. “She hadn’t had a game like that in a while, so she needed that, I know she did and that’s exactly her role.”
Porter also had three steals and three assists.
Point guard Jessica Dietzman was right behind Porter with 18 points, five steals and four assists.
“Melissa and Dietz worked well together on the fast break,” Rapelje said.
Wolves’ posts Jayla Julmist and backup LeeAnn Raney each totaled double-doubles.
“That was our goal,” Rapelje said. “We knew they weren’t that tall and we had felt that we had been under utilizing our posts a little. So we had been working all week on getting them the ball, making them post up and call for it, making sure our guards see that they are open and running offenses that utilize them. They didn’t have anybody over what 5-foot-6, so it was like we should definitely get the ball into our posts.
Julmist ended up with 15 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks, four assists and two steals. Raney posted 14 points, 13 boards and four assists.
Hope Glasser added seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block with four points in her last home game and Kalli Wiker had five assists and a block.
With much more formidable foes like Fife coming up, Sequim has been focused internally.
“Our main focus has been on our post players,” Rapelje said. “We talked a little bit as well about our fast break, getting the ball up the court to people wide, not necessarily executing, but if nothing’s there it’s more about getting the ball out quickly.
“If we can get the ball out quickly and up the court we don’t have to worry about the other team setting up an intense press. I know Fife does press, they do it a little differently than Port Angeles, they do more of a 3/4 court. They do have guards that will pressure us, so it’s a point of emphasis.
“But we’ve been focusing on what we need to do, not just against Fife, but whatever teams we play. Getting the ball into the post has to be part of the game plan, fast break that has to be part of the game plan.”
Sequim 92, Foster 22
Foster 6 7 0 9— 22
Sequim 25 24 22 21— 92
Foster (22) — Pham 11, Djuderia 6, Clark 3, Chin 2.
Sequim (92) — Porter 19, Dietzman 18, Ja. Julmist 15, Raney 14, Wagner 7, Je. Julmist 6, Weller 6, Glasser 4, Wiker 3, Bates.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
