SEQUIM — Tough, fast and on this night, able to shake free from a scrappy Sequim team.
Port Angeles’ Roughriders got a big game from senior post Nizhoni Wheeler and balanced scoring besides as they held off a persistent Wolves squad in Sequim Tuesday night, 41-26.
Wheeler had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Port Angeles (3-1 in league, 6-5 overall) earned some separation with a 12-4 fourth quarter spurt.
“(Early on) we got out-worked on the boards but I thought we stepped up,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said. “Sequim started moving the ball against our 1-3-1 zone but I thought our 2-3 zone worked well.”
The Riders got solid contributions from Kiana Robideau, Natalie Steinman and Aeverie Politika, who scored six points apiece.
Wheeler fueled the Riders on the offensive end, working inside for tough layups and finding open teammates when Sequim doubled down in the post.
“(Nizhoni) in my mind is the best passer in the league,” Poindexter said.
Port Angeles also frustrated Sequim (2-3 and 4-4), playing without starting point guard Bobbi Sparks, into 21 turnovers.
“We were working our offense well (but) they are physical and fast,” Sequim post Ella Christiansen said. “We’re not used to how fast they play.”
Sequim coach Larry Brown said the Roughrider press was working well Tuesday night.
“That press was really good — it forced us to take some shots we don’t want to take,” he said. “It’s a different ballgame when you’re pressured like that.”
Jessica Dietzman led Sequim with nine points. Christiansen had eight points, Hope Glasser added seven rebounds and Adrienne Haggerty had six rebounds and four blocks.
After falling behind 5-1 midway through the first quarter, Sequim went on an 11-3 run for its biggest lead (12-8) of the game. Wheeler, Politika and Devin Edwards responded with baskets to give Port Angeles a 21-16 lead at halftime.
The Roughriders went on an 8-0 run to take a 29-19 lead late in the third quarter. Sequim never got closer than seven points down the stretch.
“Defensively, holding a team like (Port Angeles) to 41 points is a pretty solid outing,” Brown said. “I’ll take ten points a quarter.”
The Roughriders finished with 10 turnovers, but only five through three quarters.
“We tend to, for the most part, handle (press break) well,” Poindexter said. “Sequim made some nice adjustments and hurt us with some dribble penetration (but) we got tougher as the game went on.”
Port Angeles (6-5, 3-1) next plays at 7 p.m. Friday at first-place Olympic.
Sequim (4-4, 2-3) played Wednesday at Neah Bay and will host North Mason at 7 p.m. Friday.
Port Angeles 41, Sequim 26
PA 10 11 8 12— 41
Sequim 8 8 6 4— 26
Port Angeles (41) — N. Wheeler 11, Politika 6, Robideau 6, Steinman 6, Edwards 4, McGuffey 4, Brady 3, Gray, Long, Lunt.
Sequim (26) — Dietzman 9, Christiansen 8, Green 4, Glasser 2, Haggerty 2, Armstrong 1
Boys Basketball
Port Angeles 48, Sequim 32
SEQUIM — Round one of this cross-peninsula rivalry goes to the Roughriders.
Senior guards Noah McGoff and Grayson Peet did damage from the outside early on, and sophomore posts Liam Clark and Garrett Edwards protected the lead late as Port Angeles fended off their hosts in Sequim Tuesday night, 48-32.
Edwards had 12 points and McGoff added 11, leading Port Angeles (3-1 in Olympic League play, 7-4 overall) to their third win in four games.
“I liked how we stayed with it defensively,” Rider coach Kasey Ulin said. “We didn’t want a repeat of last year.”
In the Roughrider-Wolves matchup in Sequim last season, the Wolves hit a last-second shot for a two-point victory.
There would be no such suspense in Tuesday’s matchup, though the Wolves (0-5, 2-8) kept the game within single digits until the Riders finished with a 12-3 run.
“I was pleased with our effort tonight,” Sequim coach Greg Glasser said. “They made their shots and we didn’t. We knew we were up against a good team, probably one of the top three in the league.”
Junior guard Payton Glasser led the Wolves with 22 points; no other Wolf scored more than three.
Port Angeles got out of the gate early, as McGoff and Peet hit first-quarter treys to gain a 14-5 advantage midway through the first quarter.
The Wolves, thanks to Glasser’s points from the post, kept Sequim close; a Glasser 3-pointer early in the second half cut the Riders’ lead to 27-22.
Sequim couldn’t garner much momentum after halftime, however, unable to capitalize on open looks or corral rebounds thanks to Clark and Edwards. Clark finished with five rebounds and five blocks to go with his eight points.
“We preach hitting the glass,” Ulin said. “Everyone knows we play for threes, but we can’t live and die by threes.”
Luke Angevine, a 6-foot 5-inch wing, had just two points but had a solid all-around game with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sophomore guard Kyle Benedict added six points.
“It seemed like every time we cut the lead, Kyle (Benedict) hits a floater or Garrett (Edwards) posts up,” Greg Glasser said. “You worry about Noah (McGoff) or Grayson Peet, but these other guys will kill you.”
Ulin said he liked how well Angevine, Peet and McGoff defended Payton Glasser, who finished 8-of-24 from the field to go with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Greg Glasser had high praise for Konnor Parrish, a senior post who in his first start of the season had two points, two rebounds and two blocks.
“One of his best games; he garnered a lot of trust,” the Sequim coach said. “He’s a guy who can get it going offensively.”
Sequim played at Neah Bay Wednesday and will play an Olympic League 2A game at North Mason at 7 p.m. Friday.
Port Angeles will host Olympic (3-1 in Olympic League 2A Division play) at 7 p.m. Friday.
Port Angeles 48, Sequim 32
PA 17 10 9 12 — 48
Sequim 12 7 8 5 — 32
PA (48) — Edwards 12, McGoff 11, Peet 9, Benedict 6, Angevine 2, w 8.
Sequim (32) — Glasser 22, Whitney 2, Parrish 2, Cowan 3, Rollness 3.
