PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles unleashed an effective 1-3-1 press that consistently swiped the ball from Sequim and effectively drained the drama, if not the celebration, from the Roughriders’ Senior Night.
With the Olympic League Championship up for grabs for the Wolves (12-1, 15-3) with a win, Port Angeles (11-1, 12-4) evened the season series with two league games remaining for each team next week and leapfrogged Sequim (No. 10) to No. 9 in the WIAA RPI.
“It was a great senior night for us,” Riders coach Michael Poindexter said. “All seniors played intelligent basketball for us tonight, but I want to single out Bailee Larson for a tremendous overall game and Jayde Gedelman for one of her strongest games of the season.”
Larson led the team in rebounds (10) and assists (eight) while scoring seven points.
Gedelman drained an early 3-point basket and dug in defensively after that, forcing five steals.
Port Angeles unleashed forward Eve Burke at the top of its zone to open the game and the results were immediate as the Riders forced 11 first-quarter turnovers and attacked the rim aggressively due to the absence of Wolves’ center Jelissa Julmist to injury.
Burke scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the first half, teammate Anna Petty added 10 of her 12 points in the first two quarters and Paige Mason went to the bucket inside for six second-quarter points to open up a 35-14 Riders’ advantage at halftime.
Burke would add seven steals and six rebounds for the Riders.
Sequim opened the first three quarters with turnovers on each of its initial possessions, further compounding the team’s woes. The Wolves finished with 26 giveaways, while Port Angeles totaled 18.
The Sequim defense held Port Angeles scoreless for four minutes of the third quarter and the Wolves trimmed six points off the Riders’ advantage in that time frame, but back-to-back old-fashioned 3-point plays off steals by Burke and Petty erased any inroads and put the game away.
“[Port Angeles] played a good game tonight and we had a rough showing,” Sequim coach Joclin Julmist said. “Our girls worked hard but we had too many turnovers and not enough second chances. We have to flush this one and focus on the next game.”
Senior Night
The Roughriders celebrated its five seniors — Burke, Larson, Gedelman, Jenna McGoff and Angelina Sprague in a pre-game ceremony and were gifted blankets by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s Lola Moses in recognition of how the team represents the Port Angeles community.
All five Port Angeles seniors started the game and both the Riders and Wolves made special note to head over to Scooter Chapman and give him a high five during pre-game introductions. Chapman’s retirement from his 70-year career in broadcasting was celebrated this week.
Port Angeles 60, Sequim 36
Seq. 4 10 8 14 — 36
PA 15 20 12 13 — 60
Sequim (36) — Vaara 13, Bates 9, Wagner 4, Smith 3, Stephens 3, Bacon 2, Herman 2, Green, Johnson.
Port Angeles (60) — Burke 19, Petty 12, Smith 8, Larson 7, Mason 6, Williams 5, Gedelman 3, Felton, McGoff, Sprague.
