TUKWILA — This time, there was no huge rally in the second half.
The Port Angeles boys basketball team was bombarded by nine 3-pointers from Enumclaw as they fell 59-45 in their final bidistrict tournament game Saturday evening. With the victory, Enumclaw moves on to the regional round of the state tournament, while the Roughriders end their season with a record of 16-8.
The late second-half comeback became part of the Riders’ trademark this season. Port Angeles had a 17-0 run to take over a bidistrict tournament game against Steilacoom. They had another 11-0 run in 37 seconds in the fourth quarter to beat Sammamish earlier in the year. And there were many other runs like that sparked by the Riders’ defense and ability to create steals and turnovers.
They couldn’t quite pull it off again against a hot-shooting Enumclaw team.
In both of their bidistrict losses, the Riders were hurt by their opponents’ outside shooting. Sammamish hit 10 3-pointers in a 65-57 win. Enumclaw also played solid defense, only allowing the Riders to score 29 points after the first quarter.
In fact, the first quarter was a 3-point barrage by both teams as the Riders and Hornets combined for six buckets from beyond the 3-point arc. The Riders got off to a good start with a 16-9 lead in the first quarter, but they could only manage five points in the entire second quarter.
Despite the rough second quarter, Port Angeles went into the half in good shape as Parker Nickerson hit a 3-pointer, his third of the game, right before the buzzer to make score the 22-21 for Enumclaw.
In the third, the Hornets dominated, hitting five 3-pointers and holding Port Angeles to just 10 points, outscoring the Riders 21-10. The Riders hung tough for a bit as Isaiah Shamp had five straight points and Kason Albaugh a bucket to make it 35-31 for Enumclaw midway through the third. The Hornets hit three more 3-pointers and went on a 13-2 run into the early part of the fourth quarter to take a commanding 48-33 lead with five minutes left in the game.
Albaugh hit a clutch 3-pointer and forced a turnover as the Riders tried to fight back, but the closest that Port Angeles was able to get was 52-42 with two minutes left in the game.
Shamp led the Riders with 13 points, while Nickerson, who was held scoreless in the second half, had 11 and Albaugh 11. Dallas Dunning had eight points.
The Riders graduate Dunning, Shamp, Nickerson and Albaugh, Ezra Townsend, Andrew Halberg and William Ruddell.
Enumclaw 59, Port Angeles 45
PA 16 5 10 14 — 45
Enum. 12 10 21 16 — 59
Port Angeles (45) — Shamp 13, Albaugh 11, Nickerson 11, Dunning 8, Halberg 2.
Lummi 53, Neah Bay 47
MOUNT VERNON — The Neah Bay boys basketball team gave No. 1-ranked Lummi (22-1) all it could handle in a 53-47 loss in the tridistrict tournament championship game.
Neah Bay (17-4) had won 15 straight before Saturday’s loss.
The Red Devils still move on to the regional round of the state 1B tournament. Neah Bay had already qualified for the state tournament before Saturday’s game. Neah Bay earlier beat Summit Classical 74-48 and Muckleshoot 69-48 in the tournament.
Makyah Chambers led the Red Devils with 18 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Seactis Woodruff scored 11, while Tyler Swan had 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Neah Bay got a solid fifth seed in the state tournament and will get an opening round bye. The Red Devils play No. 4 DeSales on Friday or Saturday, site to be determined. This game is for seeding only. Win or lose, Neah Bay moves on to the Spokane Arena.
Lummi 53, Neah Bay 47
Lummi 15 14 12 12 — 53
NB 6 12 15 14 — 47
Neah Bay (47) — Chambers 18, Woodruff 11, Swan 11, Cummins 3, M. Greene 2, Wimberly 2.
