PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles put the squeeze on Enumclaw late, clawing back from an eight-point halftime deficit and holding the Hornets to just three points over the game’s final 6:24 to pull out a 57-51 nonleague win.
“Enumclaw’s half-court defense is one of the best in the state,” coach Kasey Ulin said. “They make it hard to get any looks at the rim. They are elite in that aspect.
“The difference in the game was we really elevated our defensive pressure in the second half. We were able to get out and get some scores in transition, which is crucial, because once they are set up in the half court, it’s really hard to score on them.”
Trailing 29-21 at halftime and by as much as 50-45 in the fourth, the Roughriders went up for good midway through the fourth quarter when Parker Nickerson (two) and Isaiah Shamp swiped steals on three straight Enumclaw trips down the floor, followed by Dallas Dunning and Nickerson scoring inside twice to put Port Angeles up 50-48 with 3:43 to play.
But the Riders couldn’t quite put the game on ice until the final minute, forcing a barrage of Enumclaw misses down the stretch.
With Port Angeles clinging to a 50-49 lead, senior guard Kason Albaugh came through with a clutch hustle play.
“Kason comes out of nowhere, the smallest guy on the court goes and gets it, and Parker gets the big 3,” Ulin said.
Nickerson drained the shot from the left corner of the arc, and after another round of Hornet misses at the other end, four straight free throw makes by Shamp put a bow on the big win.
Albaugh scored 17 points.
“He’s been our MVP,” Ulin said. “He hit five 3s and they were all big 3s when we needed a bucket,” Ulin said. “Those shots gave us life again.”
Nickerson also finished strong.
“Parker had 22 points in the second half and finished with 28 points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists,” Ulin said.
Shamp’s tough defense
Along with the clutch free throws, Shamp starred with his defensive performance inside.
“He had 12 rebounds, four deflections, four steals, and that’s coming off a night with 16 rebounds and six blocks [vs. W.F. West],” Ulin said. “He’s moving well laterally, challenging shots. He’s playing great defense.”
Port Angeles (2-1, 5-2) will play Tumwater at the Yakima Valley SunDome at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Port Angeles 57, Enumclaw 51
Enumclaw 13 16 15 7— 51
Port Angeles 11 10 19 17— 57
Port Angeles (57) — Nickerson 28, Albaugh 17, Shamp 6, Angevine 2, Dunning 2, G. Halberg 2, Townsend, Miller.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
Port Angeles’ Gus Halberg, center, looks for the net surrounded by Enumclaw defenders including, from left, Jason Feddema, Karson Holt and Liam Leonard on Wednesday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Angeles’ Parker Nickerson, left, eases past the defense of Enumclaw’s Wyatt Neu on Wednesday afternoon in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
