BAINBRIDGE — The Port Angeles boys basketball team was one second away from beating Bainbridge on the road, but the Spartans’ Luke Johnson hit an improbable 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
In OT, Bainbridge outscored the Roughriders 11-6, making a number of free throws down the stretch, to pull the game out 71-66.
“We’re a couple of possessions away from being 3-0,” said coach Kasey Ulin. Port Angeles also lost 73-70 to North Mason in the season opener.
“”I’m proud of the guys and how we played for the first 24 minutes,” Ulin said. “I’ve never been more confident in a team. I’m glad we’re facing this adversity right now. It will force us to improve quickly.”
The Riders got off to a great start, surging out to a 35-23 lead at the half and taking a 50-37 lead into the third. Bainbridge roared back with 23 points in the fourth.
Down 60-57 in the final minute, Bainbridge missed a 3-pointer long with three or four seconds left, but in a scramble for the loose ball, it got to Johnson, who got off the 3-pointer from the elbow with two Riders defenders draped all over him.
Port Angeles got off to a solid start in the overtime, getting a basket from Brock Hope on a rebound and putback and then another basket by Gus Halberg on a great one-handed drive to the rim. Johnson hit another 3-pointer but Blake Sohlberg responded with a pair of free throws to give the Riders a 66-63 lead.
Those were the Riders’ final points. Bainbridge ended the overtime on an 8-0 run. Port Angeles had a chance for a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of overtime, but the shot went long and the Spartans hit a couple of free throws for the final margin.
Halberg led the Riders with 20, while Keatyn Hoch scored 19. Sohlberg finished with 11 and Hope eight.
Port Angeles (0-2, 1-2) has a tough game coming up, hosting unbeaten Olympic (2-0, 5-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.
“I told the guys that is a postseason-mentality game. We have to find a way to win by any means possible,” Ulin said.
Bainbridge 71, Port Angeles 66
PA 18 17 15 10 6 — 66
BI 10 13 14 23 11 — 71
Port Angeles (66) — Halberg 20, Hoch 19, Sohlberg 11, Hope 8, Miller 5, Flores 4, Angevine 1.
Sequim 76, North Mason 48
BELFAIR — The Sequim boys basketball team has been getting some huge games from Solomon Sheppard so far this season, but against North Mason, it was Jericho Julmist who came up big.
Julmist scored 31 points. He began the game with a 3-pointer in the first quarter, then hit 13 more field goals the rest of the game.
The Wolves move to 4-0 with the win and 2-0 in the Olympic League, tied for first place with Bainbridge and Olympic.
The game was actually close entering the second quarter with Sequim holding just a 15-13 lead. The Wolves blew the game open by outscoring the Bulldogs 44-22 over the second and third quarters.
Charlie Grider had 11 points, Sheppard nine and Braydan White and Jamison Gray each had seven.
The Wolves next host Bainbridge (2-0, 3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in an early-season battle to see who remains in first place in the Olympic League.
Sequim 76, North Mason 48
Seq. 15 22 22 17 — 76
NM 13 10 12 13 — 48
Sequim (76) — Julmist 31, Grider 11, Sheppard 9, White 7, Gray 7, Rapelje 5, Melnick 4, Hunter 2.
