PORT ANGELES — For the second time in three days, Port Angeles shook off a determined challenge from rival Sequim, holding back the Wolves 55-33 Saturday.
The Roughriders, now up to No. 8 in the Class 2A WIAA boys basketball RPI after a 4-0 week including a win over then-No. 6 Sehome, took the lead on a Wyatt Dunning bucket with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Port Angeles never relinquished the advantage again, even if the outcome wasn’t entirely clear until a dominant fourth quarter.
Scrappy Sequim stuck around for the remainder of the first half, trailing 24-19 at the break, thanks to Cole Smithson’s nine first-half points and a six-point second quarter from leading scorer Isaiah Moore.
Senior post John Vaara heated up for the Riders out of the locker room, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half, including an efficient stretch of three straight buckets inside in the fourth quarter that showcased his improved footwork and finishing ability.
Port Angeles’ defense also stiffened, holding the Wolves scoreless for a three-minute, eight-second stretch of the third quarter and for nearly six minutes of the final frame. The Riders held Moore scoreless in the second half as well.
Dunning finished with a game-high 20 points while Smithson led Sequim with 15.
Port Angeles (11-1, 14-4) wraps the Olympic League regular season with home games against Bremerton and RPI No. 2 North Kitsap on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Sequim (4-9, 5-12) hosts Klahowya in a nonleague game Monday before wrapping the regular season at Olympic on Tuesday.
Port Angeles 55, Sequim 33
Seq. 10 9 8 6 — 33
PA 11 13 14 17 — 55
Sequim (33) — Smithson 15, Moore 6, Mooney 6, Glasser 2, Mingoy 2, Brown 2, Green, Possin.
Port Angeles (55) — Dunning 20, Vaara 16, Maestas 12, Wheeler 7, Hall, Long, Soule, Nickerson.
Forks 71, Toutle Lake 66
FORKS — The Spartans hung on at the end and held back the Fightin’ Ducks in the first round of the Class 2B Southwest District 4 boys basketball tournament on Saturday.
“We made shots. If we can shoot that way we will be all right,” Forks coach Rick Gooding said.
“We are a team that’s getting a lot better with each game. We’ve had guys that have had a lot of experience the last couple of years and I think we are starting to scratch the surface.”
Forks led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter, before Toutle Lake capitalized on some late turnovers to cut the Spartans’ lead to one in the final minute.
Forks sophomore Aidan Salazar drained two free throws to put the Spartans back up three, and after a potential 3-pointer by Toutle went wide of the hoop, Logan Olson closed the game out with two more freebies.
“What a response,” Gooding said of Salazar. “He missed two free throws earlier and to bury two in a one-point playoff game?”
Riley Pursley led Forks with 22 points and Logan Olson had 21.
“Logan was Logan and Riley was Riley for us,” Gooding said.
Keaton Northcut boosted the Spartans with 13.
“He hit three big threes in the first half that kept us afloat,” Gooding said.
“Landin Davis came in and played tough defense and hit a big three. Brody Lausche played good, physical defense in the middle.”
Forks is likely to face Morton-White Pass in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at Montesano.
“Unless South Bend pulls the upset of the year, we will play Morton-White Pass,” Gooding said.
Forks 71, Toutle Lake 66
TL 13 17 19 17 — 66
Forks 11 22 21 17 — 71
Forks (71) — Pursley 22, Olson 21, Northcut 13, Salazar 8, Rancourt 4, Davis 3, Doyle, Lausche.
Crosspoint 81, Neah Bay 66
BREMERTON — The Neah Bay boys rallied in the third quarter, but it wasn’t enough to over Thunderr Doty and the Crossppoint basketball team in an 81-66 loss.
Doty hit six 3-pointers and scored 39 points for Crosspoint. Neah Bay went into the third quarter down 40-28, but rallied with a 24-15 third to trail just 52-55 going into the fourth. Doty hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to fend off the Red Devils.
Julain Carrick led Neah Bay with 18 points, while Makyah Chambers had 15 and Jodell Wimberley 14.
Neah Bay (5-0, 7-4) next hosts Crescent at &:15 p.m. Thursday.
Crosspoint 81, Neah Bay 66
NB 14 14 24 14 — 66
CP 26 14 15 26 — 81
Neah Bay (66) — Carrick 18, Chambers 15, Wimberley 14, Butterfield 8, Swan 6, d. Halttunen 4, J. Halttunen 1.
Crosspoint (81) — Doty 39, Wytatt 16, Ellis 11, Wohlbert 7, Steverson 3, Walter 3, Lankin 2.
Girls Basketball Forks 59, Winlock 55
FORKS — Sophomore Keira Johnson hit a pair of clutch free throws to ice a Class 2B Southwest District Tournament win for the Spartans.
It was the Forks girls first district victory since a win over Rochester in 2009.
“We were up two and Keira got fouled with seven seconds left and went to the line for a one-and-one with seven seconds left,” Spartans coach David Hurn said. “She hit both to put the game out of reach.”
Johnson led Forks with 26 points. Kadie Wood had 19 for the Spartans.
“This is a big deal for us,” Hurn said. “I told the girls not to take these opportunities lightly and they went out and played so hard with such high energy. It just made me proud of them and all their hard work. We haven’t won a district game in I don’t know how long, so winning against a team from that stacked Central League is a big step for us.”
Forks (10-7) will face Onalaska (15-4) on Tuesday in the quarterfinals likely at Montesano.
Forks 59, Winlock 55
Win. 13 10 19 13 — 55
Forks 10 18 15 16 — 59
Forks (59) — Johnson 26, Wood 19, Sandoval 7, Neel 7.
Sports Editor Pierre Labossiere contributed to this article.
