PORT ANGELES — An 8-0 Neah Bay run over the final three minutes of the fourth quarter lifted the Red Devils to a 68-67 victory over Class 2B Crosspoint on Friday at Port Angeles High School.
Jay Brunk fed Anthony Bitegeko inside for the eventual winning basket with 1:06 to play and the Red Devils hung on defensively, surviving two shot attempts by the Warriors in the final 20 seconds, the last by 6-foot-5 post Alex Weirth that spun in and out of the basket.
Bitegeko led Neah Bay (3-3) with 26 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots.
“I’m happy to come out with a victory,” Red Devils coach TJ Greene said. “Two of our senior starters Cameron [Moore] and Keith [Johnson Jr] are going to be out for awhile [each received a poor grade in Peninsula College courses], but the guys that stepped in for them got the job done. It wasn’t real pretty but it’s a win for sure.”
Greene pointed to Bitegeko’s performance as a highlight.
“Sean right there, he played great,” Greene said. “I talked to the guys beforehand, the two seniors [Bitegeko and Jay Brunk] and told them they would have to step up and fill some of that void and that leadership we are missing.”
Brunk added seven points, and scored Neah Bay’s first field goal of the fourth quarter 5 minutes and 20 seconds into the period to begin the late charge.
Sophomore Darrin Horesji buried a huge 3-point basket from the left corner to bring the Red Devils within 67-66 before Bitegeko sent in the final basket off the glass less than a minute later.
“We have some great sophomore kids coming up, Meric [Soeneke] and Darren are two of them,” Greene said. “What Darren lacks in some of his physical ability as far as quickness, he’s got a real good feel for the game and he’s a shooter. Not afraid to pull that trigger.”
Soeneke also provided a steady hand filling in at the point guard spot, playing heady defense and moving the ball well against Crosspoint’s zone defense. He scored eight points and had nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“Meric’s going to be pretty good for the team down the road,” Greene said. “He’s been a pretty good player through junior high. He’s tough, but he went through that football injury [as a freshman] and he’s just getting back into basketball form right now. He’s a good athlete for us.”
Neah Bay withstood 28 points from Weirth, including a 16-point second quarter output.
It was a return to the North Olympic Peninsula for Crosspoint coach Derrin Doty, a former prep standout at Sequim.
He coaches his sons Thunnder, a freshman, and Derrin Jr., a senior.
The Red Devils will face Class 1A Charles Wright in the Crush in the Slush Tournament in Port Townsend on Friday.
Neah Bay 68, Crosspoint 67
Crosspoint 14 22 24 7— 67
Neah Bay 19 21 20 8— 68
Crosspoint (67) — Weirth 28, Taylor 13, D. Doty 8, T. Doty 9, Ai 7, Walter 2.
Neah Bay (68) — Bitegeko 25, Horesji 10, Soeneke 8, Brunk 7, Martinez 6, Shaw 5, Vitalis 4, Engram 3, Lovik.
