PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles owned the glass in the second half, closing out a solid Class 4A team with a 13-3 run, including 8-0 over the game’s final 2 minutes and 40 seconds, to haul in an impressive 58-46 win over 4A Hazen on Saturday.
Hazen entered the contest 14th in the WIAA’s Class 4A girls basketball Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
“They responded,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said. “We gave up a lot inside in the first half. We got beat on the dribble, we got beat on the boards, but second half we stopped getting beat on the dribble so much, and I was so impressed with the second half rebounding effort.
“I told them I wanted to cry sometimes. There were some offensive boards that were just all heart. And that’s what rebounding is: caring enough to do that. I thought we really brought a lot of great energy to our rebounding and I thought our defense picked up in the second half and that won the game for us.”
The Highlanders opened the game with a little more energy than the Roughriders — forcing Poindexter into using an early timeout.
“We had some words,” Poindexter said. “I don’t know what was up. It felt to us on the bench like they were distracted. Their minds weren’t there, their bodies weren’t there.
“I don’t like calling early, quick timeouts. But we had to or else the game would have gotten away from us.”
And the Riders responded, closing the first quarter on a 14-0 run to go up 17-12 after one period and taking a 32-29 lead into halftime.
Madison Cooke was a big part of Port Angeles’ performance all game long. She scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the first half on a number of nifty dribble drives inside.
“We need to put the ball on the floor,” Poindexter said. “We have people who can attack.”
Port Angeles went up by as much as seven early in the third quarter at 36-29, but Hazen went to 6-foot-post Sharaya Coe and guard Madyson Smith for some baskets inside and out to tie it at 36-all with under 3 minutes to play in the third.
Two important 3-pointers, one by Cooke and another by Jaida Wood from the top of the key gave Port Angeles a 42-41 advantage after three periods.
Wood added 15 points, hitting four 3s in the game, including another to open the fourth quarter.
But Hazen wouldn’t go quietly. The Highlanders pulled within 50-46 with 2:40 to play and appeared to have seized the momentum.
The Riders, however, wouldn’t be denied.
Out of a timeout, Cooke came down and tossed in a short turnaround jumper over Coe to firmly grab hold of the game.
Port Angeles players such as Cooke, Wood, Millie Long, who had a strong game on both ends of the floor, and freshman Eve Burke, all were active on the offensive and defensive glass in the final minutes and Cooke, Wood and freshman Bailee Larson all hit free throws to hold down the Highlanders.
“Madison Cooke on the offensive boards tonight, that was impressive,” Poindexter said. “The kids all battled well.”
Port Angeles (4-0, 7-1) will play De LaSalle North of Portland in the Cloud 9 Christmas Classic at Lynden High School at 6:15 p.m. Thursday.
Port Angeles 58, Hazen 46
Hazen 12 17 12 5— 46
Port Angeles 17 15 10 16— 58
Hazen (46) — Coe 17, M. Smith 12, Frederickson 6, Johnson 5, A. Smith 2, B. Smith 2, Godwin 2.
Port Angeles (58) — Cooke 22, Wood 15, Long 13, Brady 3, Larson 3, Burke 2, Olsen, Politika, Walker,
