PORT TOWNSEND — Port Angeles went on the road and doubled up Port Townsend 44-22 in the girls basketball season opener for both schools.
Maddie Boe’s all-around effort led the Roughriders. The senior scored eight points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out five assists and made seven steals in Wednesday’s victory.
Emily Johnson added a team-high nine points for Port Angeles and pulled down six rebounds, while Nizhoni Wheeler scored eight and had five boards. Katyn Flores contributed five points and Lauren Lunt had five.
The Riders outrebounded the Redhawks 37-19.
Both teams were better defensively in the first game.
“Our defensive effort, resulting in lots of deflections and steals, was a highlight for us,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“On the offensive end, some of us were tight and tentative as shooters, and we forced way too many passes that Port Townsend was able to steal.”
The Class 2A Riders forced 34 turnovers, while the 1A Redhawks forced 25.
The score was even after one quarter, but Port Angeles outscored Port Townsend 26-6 over the next two quarters to pull away.
“They put up a ferocious fight, holding the Roughriders to an 8-8 tie in the first period,” first-year Port Townsend head coach Scott B. Wilson said.
“Our defense was definitely the highlight of the game for us. But the Roughriders are a strong team who combine outside shooting with strong post play, and as time went on we couldn’t keep up.”
The young Redhawks were short-handed, with only seven players suited up for Wednesday’s game. Wilson said the roster will fill out as more players participate in the required 10 practices and become eligible.
Port Townsend was led by sophomore guard Kaitlyn Meek, who scored 12 of the team’s 22 points.
“Kaitlyn has one gear, and that’s fast,” Wilson said.
Shenoa Snyder, a senior, led on the defensive end of the floor and nabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Despite the loss, Wilson was impressed with the buzzer-to-buzzer intensity of the Redhawks.
“There is zero quit on this team,” he said.
Port Townsend has back-to-back games coming up, first against another 2A school, Olympic, and then versus perennial 1A contender, Mount Baker, on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Port Angeles plays at Fife on Saturday. The Trojans (2-0) are coached by Port Angeles graduate Matt Sinnes, the son of longtime Riders boys basketball coach Lee Sinnes.
Port Angeles 44, Port Townsend 22
Port Angeles 8 14 12 10— 44
Port Townsend 8 6 0 8— 22
Individual scoring
Port Angeles (44)
Johnson 9, Boe 8, N. Wheeler 8, Flores 6, Lunt 5, C. Wheeler 4, Steinman 2, Gray 2, Baxley, McGuffey.
Port Townsend (22)
Meek 12, Leoso 4, Carson 4, Olin 2.
Boys Basketball
Mount Tahoma 70, Sequim 36
TACOMA — The inexperienced Class 2A Wolves went up a class and were knocked down in their season opener against the 3A Thunderbirds.
Sequim, which has only two full-time varsity players returning from last season, played Mount Tahoma to a 10-10 tie after one quarter, but the Thunderbirds put up 29 points in the second period and took an 18-point lead into halftime.
Sophomore Payton Glasser led the Wolves with 11 points, while senior Jack Shea had eight points and five rebounds and Jackson Oliver scored six.
Sequim hosts Klahowya tonight at 7 p.m.
Mount Tahoma 70, Sequim 36
Sequim 10 11 13 2— 36
Mount Tahoma 10 29 17 16— 70
Individual scoring
Sequim (36)
Glasser 11, Shea 5, N. Despain 4, Oliver 6, Faunce 5, Black 2, Rollness, B. Despain, Holland, Cowan.
Mount Tahoma (70)
Braffith 2, Richard 12, Hicks-Armstrong 15, Harris 2, Coleman 2, Johnson 6, Rodgers 6, Smith 19, Wesley 6, Nguyen.
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Compile using team reports.
