BATTLE GROUND — Port Angeles couldn’t handle the full-court defensive pressure applied by Hudson’s Bay in the second half of its Class 2A State Regional Round girls basketball contest and fell 58-47 Saturday at Battle Ground High School.
“We were tentative with our dribble decisions, picked the ball up early in possessions too much and allowed them to close out other players,” coach Michael Poindexter said. “And we turned the ball over and that was one thing we thought we couldn’t do against them.”
The No. 6-seeded Roughriders (17-5) will face a tough loser-out contest against No. 11 Prosser (18-6) at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Port Angeles fared well initially with the No. 3 Eagles (18-3), regular-season champs of the 2A Greater St. Helens League, moving the ball crisply on offense and keeping Hudson’s Bay out of the paint defensively.
But the Riders missed some looks inside and the Eagles scored the final two baskets in quick succession just before halftime for a 21-17 lead.
“There was an early inability to hit for some inside looks,” Poindexter said. “We had a chance to get up on them and bother them and we couldn’t take advantage.
Hudson Bay kept it going from there after the break, forcing a number of Port Angeles turnovers while seizing the momentum with transition points and good passing inside against the Riders’ zone defenses.
Port Angeles trailed 38-25 after three quarters. The Riders managed to cut the lead to eight early in the fourth quarter on an Anna Petty 3-pointer with about five minutes left, but Hudson’s Bay grew its lead back to 17 before a late Riders’ run.
Petty and Eve Burke led Port Angeles with 19 points apiece.
“Eve and Anna had exceptional games on offense,” Poindexter said. “Their physicality and athleticism caused us problems, but we were able to attack with confidence and score inside and Anna hit some 3s.”
Poindexter said Jayde Gedelman also had a solid all-around game and freshman Lexie Smith, the tallest Roughrider at 5-foot-11, defended well in the interior.
“For a freshman in that environment, you just want them to be themselves and she did that,” Poindexter said.
In other regional games Saturday, the Neah Bay boys lost their 1B game to Naselle 65-59, ending their playoff run. The Neah Bay girls played Saturday night, but have already qualified for the 1B state tournament in Spokane.
Hudson’s Bay 58, Port Angeles 47
PA 6 11 8 22 — 47
HB 7 14 17 20 — 58
Port Angeles (47) — Burke 19, Petty 19, Gedelman 5, Mason 2, Smith 2, Larson, McGoff, Williams, Felton.
Hudson’s Bay (58) — Harrison 25, Jones 8, Hampton 7, Ballard 6, Bond 4, Gonzalez 4, Stephens 4.
