POULSBO — Karma came around and bit the Port Angeles girls basketball team in a nail-biting 31-30 loss at North Kitsap.
“With 21 seconds left, North Kitsap’s freshman guard Raelee Moore missed a three-point shot; the ball bounced in the middle of several players, and Moore picked up the rebound off the bounce and hit the game-winning put-back from about 12 feet out,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“It was reminiscent of our win over Kingston in the final second when Nizhoni Wheeler picked up a rebound off the floor and laid it in at the buzzer.”
The Roughriders also earned a win last week on a buzzer-beating layup by Katyn Flores against Black Hills.
Port Angeles (7-2, 14-3) had one final look at a potential game winner against the Vikings (7-3, 10-7).
“We had time to come down and get a 15-foot shot up from the baseline and missed,” Poindexter said.
“NK got the rebound and we were unable to foul to stop the clock in the closing seconds.”
Moore’s miss, rebound and made basket was a familiar story for the Vikings.
“NK scored 14 of its 31 points directly off PA turnovers and put-backs on offensive rebounds,” Poindexter said.
The two teams each forced 25 turnovers.
“I thought our zone defense was effective and one of our few highlights,” Poindexter said.
“Nizhoni Wheeler did an excellent job on the boards and she and Maddie Boe combined for 10 steals.”
Wheeler added six points and nine rebounds.
She also hit two late free throws that put the Riders up 30-29 before Moore’s winning shot.
The Vikings outrebounded the Riders 31-22.
“On offense, we telegraphed and forced too many passes against one of the best defensive teams in the league,” Poindexter said.
“We were able to get to the free-throw line 15 times, compared to four free-throws for NK. We made 6 of 6 free throws in the fourth quarter, but only 2 of 9 in the first three quarters.
Port Angeles fell out of first place with the loss.
“Olympic (8-2, 12-5) is a half-game up on us in the standings,” Poindexter said.
The Trojans visit Kingston (6-3, 11-6) on Friday.
The Riders travel to Sequim for a rivalry game at 5:15 p.m. at Rick Kaps Gym.
North Kitsap 31, Port Angeles 30
Port Angeles 8 3 13 6— 30
North Kitsap 7 9 5 10— 31
Individual scoring
Port Angeles (30)
N. Wheeler 6, Boe 5, Johnson 5, Lunt 3, Steinman 3, C. Wheeler 2, Flores 2, Baxley 2, McGuffey 2, Long, Gray.
North Kitsap (31)
Selembo 10, Green 7, Lemmon 4, Moore 4, MacKenzie 4, Weins 2.
Sequim 53, North Mason 45
SEQUIM — Strong play in the second and fourth quarter helped the Wolves pick up their second Olympic League win of the season against the Bulldogs.
Sequim used a 17-6 second quarter to lead North Mason 28-15 at halftime.
The Bulldogs then trimmed the Wolves’ lead to 36-30 entering the final quarter.
Sequim’s Adrienne Haggerty came up big in the fourth, hitting 7 of 8 shots from the free-throw line and adding two more baskets to account for 11 of her game-high 17 points.
McKenzie Bentz drained three 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the Wolves.
Jordan Miller added nine points.
Sequim (2-8, 6-10) hosts Port Angeles at 5:15 p.m. Friday.
Sequim 53, North Mason 45
North Mason 9 6 15 13— 45
Sequim 11 17 8 17— 53
Individual scoring
North Mason (45)
Sydney 12, Simonson 9, Left 7, Starla 6, Roch 5, Womach 5.
Sequim (53)
Haggerty 17, M. Bentz 15, Miller 9, Christiansen 6, Montelius 2, Grasser 2, McMinn 2.
Port Townsend 30, Klahowya 23
SILVERDALE — The Redhawks clamped down defensively to pull even with the Eagles in the race for second place in Olympic League 1A play.
“Key to the Port Townsend win was defensive focus on the Eagles’ sharpshooting guard, Maya Ladner,” coach Scott B. Wilson said.
“Those duties were handled by Redhawk freshmen Eileen Leoso and Karlee Kellogg, and the combination held Ladner to a
single trey.”
The defense was solid for each side in the tight contest.
“There was great team defense throughout,” Wilson said.
“And we needed it. The Eagles also clamped down on us and it was a low-scoring contest all the way through.
“We knew at anytime they could bust loose for a couple baskets and tie the game. The Eagles are great at interior defense and rebounding; we got very little inside in the first half.”
Sophomore Jordyn King and senior Kassie Olin got the scoring going for Port Townsend in the first half, King hitting for all six of her points and Olin for four of her six.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Meek scored six of her 10 points in the third as the Redhawks led 22-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
“The final period was a mad scramble most of the time but our defense held up and we are showing better discipline with the ball,” Wilson said.
“Olin hit a couple key free throws. We needed them, because Klahowya is both tough and explosive.”
Port Townsend (2-3, 5-10) has won three of its last four games.
They visit rival Chimacum (1-4, 4-12) on Friday at 5:15 p.m.
Port Townsend 30, Klahowya 23
Port Townsend 6 8 8 8— 30
Klahowya 2 5 10 6— 23
Individual scoring
Port Townsend (30)
Meek 10, King 6, Olin 6, Apker-Montoya 2, Leoso 2, Carson 2, Kellogg 2.
Klahowya (23)
Valerie Salo 8, Ladner 3, Rouse 2, Antoldi 2, Bumbalugh 2, Mills 2, Kendall 2, James 2.
