UNIVERSITY PLACE — The Port Angeles boys basketball team, playing without starters John Vaara and Xander Maestas, weren’t able to keep up with 4A Tahoma in a 77-57 loss in the Roughriders’ final game in the Curtis Shootout.
Coach Kasey Ulin said the team scheduled the games against tough 4A opponents at the tournament to get better and to learn how to play tough teams.
“We were playing some of the top 4A teams in the state,” Ulin said. “The deficiencies we wanted to see, we got to see.
“This tournament was exactly what we need at this time of the year,” Ulin said.
The Riders played Saturday’s game without 6-foot-10 center Vaara and speedy guard Maestas. That is 40 points a game and excellent defense from both players missing.
“Wyatt [Dunning] really stepped up and led us. He averaged 30 points a game and made first team all-tournament,” Ulin said.
Dunning scored 27 in Saturday’s game, while Quanah Wheeler scored 18.
The Riders also lost close games at the tournament to 4A Jackson and 4A Kentwood.
Port Angeles (1-0, 2-3) returns to league play Tuesday against 3A Bainbridge (2-1, 4-2), then plays Wednesday at Bremerton (2-0, 2-1). Ulin expects the team still won’t have Vaara on Tuesday. He said this will be a tough challenge for the Riders.
Tahoma 77, Port Angeles 57
Port Angeles 6 13 9 29 — 57
Tahoma 21 14 18 24 — 77
Port Angeles (57) — Dunning 27, Wheeler 18, Nickerson 7, Hall 3, Soule 2, Surina 1.
Tahoma (77) — Boespflug 23, Hassmann 15, Davis 11, Hansen 10, Nichols 8, Church 4, Hampton 2, Garcia 2.
Crescent 50, Mary M. Knight 24
MATLOCK — Crescent allowed just five points in the first half in a 50-24 win over Mary M. Knight on Saturday.
“Our team defense has gotten a little more focused and cohesive and we really rebounded the ball well,” said coach Chris Ferrier.
Weston Hart led the team in scoring with 17 and Conner Ferro-May scored 13.
“Weston Hart is really coming into his own. He is playing free and explosive and is creating offense. I can’t sing the praises of Hayden Ferrel enough — he’s really the locomotive to our train,” Ferrier said.
The win improves Crescent’s record to 4-2.
Crescent 50 Mary M. Knight 24
Crescent 11 5 14 15 — 50
MMK 5 0 10 9 — 73
Crescent (50) — Hart 16, Ferro 13, Ferrel 7, B. Emery 7, Borum 2, Grooms 2, Bauers 2, T. Emery 2.
Girls basketball
Crescent 41, Mary M. Knight 26
MATLOCK — The Crescent girls basketball team got back on the winning track and improved its record to 5-2 with a 41-26 win on the road over Mary M. Knight on Saturday.
“It was a very slow start in the first quarter,” said coach Mike Hazelett. “The Loggers picked it up in the second. Freshman Katelayn Dunavant had a very strong game. Kaylen Mason had a big third and fourth quarter.”
Mason led the team with 13 points, while Dunavant scored 10 and Makiah Clark nine.
The Loggers (5-2) next play at Concrete on Tuesday.
Crescent 41, Mary M. Knight 26
Crescent 10 9 11 11 — 41
MMK 7 2 7 10 — 26
Crescent (41) — Mason 13, Dunavant 10, Clark 9, Gales 5, Kazlauskas 4.
Mary M. Knight (26) — Robertson 6, Cooper 6, Vaughn 5, Edgin 5, Lohman 2, Westling 2.
