NORTH KITSAP — The Madison family has a new leading scorer.
So too, does Port Angeles High School.
Senior Jessica Madison scored 26 points in a 67-33 Olympic League girls basketball victory over North Kitsap on Tuesday night, passing her brother, James Madison, on her way to the top of Roughriders’ all-time scoring list.
Madison tied James’ boys mark (1,703 points) early in the fourth quarter before sinking one last basket on a driving layup with three minutes left in the game.
“She had it tied and we kept trying to feÃ*ed her the ball,” Port Angeles coach Mike Knowles said. “My daughter [Alison Knowles] was doing everything in her power.”
Finally, “she got to the rim, got fouled and made the lay-in on the foul.”
Jessica missed the subsequent foul shot, but at that point it didn’t matter.
She had already broken the record in the 18th game of her senior season and is now sitting at 1,705 points with at least six games to go in her high school career.
“She’s going to shatter the record,” Knowles said.
Madison scored 37 points in the Riders’ last game, an 87-30 win over Klahowya on Friday, to get to within 24 of James going into Tuesday night.
Knowing she’d need 25 to break the record, her teammates and coacÃ*hes counted off the points as the fourth quarter rolled around.
After she knocked down that final basket, Knowles took her out of the game to celebrate with her teammates.
“I want to thank my teammates first, being there and supporting me,” the four-year starter said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.
“Not just like this year but in previous years, too.”
Jessica woke up James back in Cleveland with a phone call immediately after the game ended.
“He was like half asleep,” said Jessica, who will play on scholarship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks next winter.
“He congratulated me and said he’d call me tomorrow. It’s like [midnight] back there.”
With the win Tuesday night, the third-ranked Riders (14-0 in league, 15-3 overall) clinched a share of their fourth straight Olympic League title.
In fact, the blowout was Port Angeles’ 35th straight win in league play. That’s a streak that dates back to the 2008-09 season.
Alison Knowles added 15 points in the win.
Port Angeles travels to North Mason on Thursday night for a makeup game before finishing off its regular season schedule with a home game against Sequim on Tuesday.
Port Angeles 67, North Kitsap 33
Port Angeles 13 22 22 10 — 67
North Kitsap 12 4 8 9 — 33
Individual Scoring
North Kitsap (33)
Cardoza 3, Kaase 2, Brey 8, Whitebeck 2, Williams 6, Simmons 12.
Home (67)
K. Jones 8, Knowles 15, Northern 2, Madison 26, Johnson 6, Jeffers 9.
