FORKS — Forks rallied from a 33-23 deficit after three quarters to push past Hoquiam 42-40 and win its first Evergreen League girls basketball game in nearly three years.
It was the Spartans’ first league victory in their last 29 games dating back to a 47-26 win over Tenino on Feb. 4, 2014.
Tuesday night, Forks took a 41-40 lead on a pair of late free throws by Skyler DeMatties. DeMatties scored 10 of her 13 points in the final period comeback.
Myah Rondeau added a free throw for a 42-40 advantage and the Grizzles’ last-second 3-point try came up short.
“We finally got one to go our way,” Forks coach John DeMatties said.
“It was a complete team effort. Even though its only one win, its a big win for us to get a league win. It’s been tough for us to lose a lot of close games, but we are young and you have to learn how to win.”
Rian Peters led the Spartans with 19 points.
“She was scoring in every quarter for us,” DeMatties said.
“She’s a stud. Especially for a freshman.”
Jayden Olson added nine points for Forks.
“Jayden Olson has been shooting much better and she played really good defense and got a lot of rebounds,” DeMatties said.
“Brittany Woodruff was rebounding well.
“And our defense keyed us in that fourth quarter.”
Forks knocked down eight 3-pointers in the game.
The Spartans (1-1, 2-8) visited Klahowya for a nonleague game Wednesday and will travel to league power Montesano (2-0, 11-2) on Friday.
Forks 42, Hoquiam 40
Hoquiam 12 8 13 7— 40
Forks 7 8 8 19— 42
Hoquiam (40) — Cox 2, Mode 4, Jump 4, Hernandez 9, J. Cox, Vonhof 3, German 2, Dunn, Krohn 16.
Forks (42) — Rowley, Olson 9, DeMatties 13, Kratzer, Bayer, Hogland, Peters 19, Rondeau 1, Woodruff.
Kingston 48, Port Angeles 45
KINGSTON — The Roughriders struggled defensively in the fourth quarter, allowing the Buccaneers to take the lead for good on a 9-1 scoring run in an Olympic League 2A Division loss.
Port Angeles had a chance to win late when Cheyenne Wheeler was fouled while scoring a layup and converted the foul shot to pull the Riders within one, at 46-45.
“We fouled Karleigh Gomez immediately, and she hit her two free-throws to put Kingston up 48-45,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“We connected on a half-court pass as time was running out but missed the last-second shot.”
Nizhoni Wheeler scored 12 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter for the Riders.
Kyrsten McGuffey added eight points and Cheyenne Wheeler notched six.
Halfway through Olympic League 2A play, Port Angeles (3-3, 6-7) sits in a three-way tie for third with Sequim (3-3, 5-5) and Bremerton (3-3, 5-6).
The top four Olympic League teams advance to district play.
Kingston 48, Port Angeles 45
Port Angeles 11 7 12 15— 45
Kingston 4 16 6 19— 48
Port Angeles (45) — N. Wheeler 17, McGuffey 8, C. Wheeler 6, Robideau 4, Politika 4, Brady 3, Steinman 2, Edwards 1, Long, Lunt, Gray.
Kingston (48) — Hiner 13, Beaulieu 12, Gomez 8, George 6, Friedel 5, Eliason 4.
Port Townsend 39, Chimacum 38
PORT TOWNSEND — The Cowboys’ fourth-quarter comeback fell just short as the Redhawks held off the rival Cowboys in a 39-38 Olympic League 1A Division win.
With overtime on the line, Chimacum’s Shanya Nisbet hit the first of two free throws but missed the second to give Port Townsend the win.
“Shanya had been hitting baskets all night and I thought we were headed to overtime but the second free throw bounced out,” Redhawks coach Scott Wilson said.
“They pressed us in the fourth quarter and caused a lot of turnovers. They were hitting shots and we weren’t. We had a late 3 by Jaz Apker-Montoya and a 3 by Jordan King that really kept us in the game.
“I give Chimacum credit, we wilted under their press.”
Apker-Montoya led the Redhawks with 15 points, while Kaitlyn Meek scored 14. Apker-Montoya has been red-hot since getting injured at Port Townsend’s holiday basketball tournament. She is averaging 19.5 points a game over her past two games.
Chimacum was led by Maddie Dowling with 13 and Mechelle Nisbet with eight. The Redhawks managed to hold Nisbet to her first single-digit scoring game of the year.
Chimacum entered the fourth quarter down 30-23, but the Cowboys weren’t quite able to make up that deficit.
“This one was a tough one the swallow. I think that in many ways we played well enough to win and again I wish we didn’t turn it on all at once the end but really in this one if we simply make our free throws we win,” said Chimacum coach Trevor Huntingford.
The Cowboys shot just 8-for-23 from the free-throw line.
“You lose by one you can put a lot on not hitting your free throws,” Huntingford said.“Have to say hats off to Port Townsend for getting the job done but I really felt like a lot of it had to do with us letting it slip out of our hands with poor execution and a lot of missed free throws,” he said.
Port Townsend (7-4, 3-1) next travels to Klahowya (0-3, 3-7) for an Olympic League 1A game at 7 p.m. Friday.
Chimacum (7-6, 1-4) will host North Kitsap (5-1, 10-3) of the Olympic 2A Division at 7 p.m. Friday.
Port Townsend 39, Chimacum 38
Port Townsend 10 6 14 9— 39
Chimacum 6 7 10 15— 38
Port Townsend (39) — Apker-Montoya 15, Meek 14, Hammett 7, King 3.
Chimacum (38) — Dowling 13, G. Yaley 9, M. Nisbet 8, S. Nisbet 6, A. Yaley 2.
Sequim at Coupeville, PPD.
COUPEVILLE — Icy road conditions prompted the postponement of this nonleague contest to Monday, Jan. 30.
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News Chimacum’s Mechelle Nisbet drives downcourt into the defense of Port Townsend’s Kaitlyn Meek during an Olympic League 1A rivalry contest.
