PORT ANGELES — The Clallam Bay Bruins were all smiles after their 43-27 postseason victory over Northwest Yeshiva at Port Angeles High School.
Of course they would be. It was the Clallam Bay girls basketball program’s first postseason win in a long time.
But the they also were all smiles before the game. And during it. And when they were plowing into walls, bouncing off opponents. And even after they made mistakes or committed fouls.
There were a handful of Bruins who rarely stopped smiling during Tuesday’s game.
“We enjoy playing, I guess. I mean, it’s fun,” Clallam Bay sophomore Atokena Abe said.
“We were really excited before this game, too, because we had a feeling we were going to make it past here, and we never really do.
“So we were super-stoked before we even won.”
Now the Bruins (14-4) move on to another loser-out play-in game — from one frying pan to another — at Mount Vernon Christian (13-9) tonight at
5 p.m.
If Clallam Bay beats the Hurricanes, it officially makes the double-elimination Class 1B Tri-District tournament.
Regardless of who wins tonight, that team will open Tri-Districts against Neah Bay at Port Angeles High School on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Along with that pregame happiness and confidence, the Bruins also had big-game jitters, and didn’t score until Abe made a pair of free throws at about the 3-minute mark the opening quarter.
“We were a little bit nervous that first [half], I thought,” junior guard Mariah LaChester said.
Added Abe, “Yeah, I think we were nervous, and sometimes we like stoop down to the level of who we’re playing, sometimes we play at their level and not ours. I feel like that was happening, too.”
The teams were tied 9-9 at the end of the first quarter, and Clallam Bay took a 17-14 lead into the halftime break.
Abe hit a free throw 19 seconds into the third quarter. Then, with 7:05 left in the third, Northwest Yeshiva’s Esther Goldberg hit a 3-pointer that cut the Bruins’ lead to 18-17.
It would be more than four minutes before either the Bruins or the 613s scored again.
However, Clallam Bay coach Michael Maines said the Bruins were much better after halftime.
“The first half was kind of stagnant, the second half they came out and played some better defense, which led to some offense. The second half was good,” Maines said.
“Sometimes they’re slow-starting, and they realized in order to keep going, in order to play Thursday, they needed to play, so they came out and played and they got a lot more aggressive.”
Jennica Maines ended the offensive drought with a steal that led to a breakaway layup.
“That’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to come out on them a little bit, because the way they were passing, it was a pretty nonchalant pass, and we were trying to bring the defense out a little bit to get some freebies, to get some layups,” Michael Maines said.
“We need to start with defense. If our defense plays well . . . then our offense picks up. That’s what works best for us. We can’t do offense-to-defense. Our offense starts with our defense.”
Jennica Maines’ basket sparked the Bruins.
“That helped the flow,” Abe said.
On Clallam Bay’s next possession, Kaitlyn Willis hit a baseline jumper. A minute later, Molly McCoy scored in the post.
It wasn’t quite an onslaught, but the Bruins finished the third quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 24-17.
McCoy added another bucket and LaChester nailed a 3-pointer to make it 29-17.
Clallam Bay pulled away from there to advance in the postseason for the first time in a long time.
Maines, in his first season as the Bruins’ head coach, wasn’t sure how long it had been, only that it is a significant achievement, especially considering that the squad is loaded with underclassmen and has only two seniors.
Abe led all scorers with 14 points.
“Fantastic player. Like I’ve said before, doesn’t even realize how good she’s going to be,” Maines said.
“Real reliable, real consistent —14, 15, 16 points a game every single night.
“And is [only] a sophomore.”
LaChester finished with seven points for the Bruins, McCoy had six, and Jennica Maines, Miriam Wonderly and Willis each scored four.
Shlomit Menashe paced Northwest Yeshiva (7-13) with 13 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. Goldberg finished with eight points.
On the radio
Tonight’s game between Clallam Bay and Mount Vernon Christian will be broadcast live by Forks 1490 AM and online at www.forks1490.com.
Oly Archibald will provide the play-by-play. He will be joined by former Mount Vernon Christian guard Jacqueline Case, who now plays for Skagit Valley in the Northwest Athletic Conference.
The pregame show starts at 4:45 p.m.
Rangers also vying for Tri-District berth
The Quilcene girls also have a 1B Tri-District play-in game tonight.
The Rangers (10-9) play at Cedar Park Christian (12-10) of Mountlake Terrace at 5:45 p.m.
The winner advances to play at Seattle Lutheran (12-7) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
________
Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
