UNIVERSITY PLACE — Port Angeles lost its lead early in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get it back in the third-place game of the 2A District 2/3 girls basketball tournament at Curtis High School.
Liberty claimed third place by beating the Roughriders 39-33 on Saturday.
Port Angeles finished fourth at the tournament and will face Anacortes at Mount Vernon High School on Friday at 6 p.m.
The Riders started strong Saturday, and led by five points from Natalie Steinman, held a 10-4 lead after one quarter.
The Patriots chipped away at the lead, but still trailed 28-23 in the closing seconds of the third quarter.
“We failed to pressure the ball as we had been earlier, allowing a last-second 3-point make to end the quarter,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“Liberty started the fourth quarter with another 3-point make, and that gave them a 29-28 lead, a lead they wouldn’t lose the rest of the way.”
Liberty’s Samantha Kelderman led all scorers with 18 points. She was especially effective on the offensive glass.
“Our man-man defense was sound overall in the game, but too many shot block attempts left us out of position for rebounds and we gave up 20 offensive rebounds to Liberty,” Poindexter said.
“Much of Samantha Kelderman’s scoring came off of second-chance points.”
Overall, the Patriots outrebounded the Riders 40-29.
Cheyenne Wheeler topped Port Angeles with seven points. Lauren Lunt and Nizhoni Wheeler each added six.
“Offensively, we had four problem areas that cost us the game: seven largely uncontested misses inside, 4-15 free-throw shooting — six missed free throws in the fourth quarter — poor shot selection in the 4th quarter, and too many turnovers in our half-court offense,” Poindexter said.
Nizhoni Wheeler also had nine rebounds, three blocks, there steals and two assists.
Anacortes (16-7) handed Port Angeles (20-5) its largest loss of the season, 54-26 on Dec. 28.
The Seahawks won the Northwest District tournament by beating Lynden 51-41 in the title game Friday.
Liberty 39, Port Angeles 33
Port Angeles 10 9 9 5— 33
Liberty 4 10 12 12— 39
Individual scoring
Port Angeles (33)
C. Wheeler 7, Lunt 6, N. Wheeler 6, Steinman 5, Baxley 5, Politika 2, Long 1, Gray 1, Flores, McGuffey.
Liberty (39)
Kelderman 18, Sweeney 9, Metzger 8, Zerda 2, Argosino 2.
Evergreen Lutheran 52, Neah Bay 49
BELLINGHAM — The Red Devils saw their 14-point halftime lead disappear quickly in the third quarter of the 1B Tri-District third-place game at Lummi Nation School.
Neah Bay led 29-15 at the half Saturday, but the Eagles dismantled that advantage in the eight minutes of the third quarter, cutting it to 35-34 going into the fourth.
Gina McCaulley hit two 3-pointers to score six of her 11 points in the fourth quarter, but the Red Devils couldn’t hold off Evergreen Lutheran.
Neah Bay finishes fourth at the district tournament, which sets up a meeting with the Southwest District’s champion, Taholah, at W.F. West High School in Chehalis on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Tristin Johnson led the Red Devils on Saturday with 12 points. Along with her 11 points, McCaulley had seven steals and six assists.
Eighth-grader Cei’J Gagnon pulled down a team-high 10 boards for Neah Bay.
Evergreen Lutheran’s Emily Holder topped all scorers with 22 points, and Katelyn Schwartz added 14.
Evergreen Lutheran 52, Neah Bay 49
Evergreen Lutheran 10 5 19 18— 52
Neah Bay 19 10 6 14— 49
Individual scoring
Evergreen Lutheran (52)
Bergemann3, J. Holder 9, Rowland 4, Schwartz 14, E. Holder 22, Frankland, Kim.
Neah Bay (49)
J. Greene 6, Aguirre 4, H. Greene 8, Gagnon 3, McCaulley 11, Johnson 12, Halttunen 5.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Neah Bay 81, Evergreen Lutheran 78, OT
BELLINGHAM — The Red Devils had to go an extra period to claim third place in the 1B Tri-District tournament at Lummi Nation School.
And it was a battle throughout, with neither team holding a lead of more than five points at any of the quarter breaks.
Neah Bay turned a 35-30 halftime deficit into a 56-51 lead with a 26-point third quarter.
The Eagles came back to win the fourth quarter 18-13 to send the game into overtime tied 69-69.
Ryan Moss scored seven of his team-high 30 points in overtime to help the Red Devils escape.
Jeff Parker led all scorers with 35 points but none of those game in overtime because he fouled.
Neah Bay played the end of the fourth quarter and all of overtime without second-leading scorer Kenrick Doherty Jr., who finished with 11 points.
Jericho McGimpsey racked up 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals for the Red Devils, and Rwehabura Munyagi Jr. had 15 points and six boards.
Moss and Reggie Buttram each pulled down 11 rebounds. Moss also had three steals and three assist, and Buttram made five steals.
Neah Bay (17-3) will face Riverside Christian (14-9) in the winner-to-state regional round Saturday at 4 p.m. at W.F. West High School in Chehalis.
The Crusaders placed second at the District 6 tournament.
Neah Bay 81, Evergreen Lutheran 78, OT
Evergreen Lutheran 21 14 16 18 9— 78
Neah Bay 17 13 26 13 12— 81
Individual scoring
Evergreen Lutheran (78)
Parker 35, Lertzke 15, Frankland 2, Rodmyre 13, Barr 1, Lawrence 12, Jo, Lorrette.
Neah Bay (81)
Munyagi 15, McGimpsey 15, Bitegeko 6, Doherty 11, Moss 30, Buttram 4, Buzzell.
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Compiled using team reports.
