PORT TOWNSEND — On a night that Port Townsend remembered its sterling boys basketball history, the current team couldn’t quite pull off a comeback bid in the final minute, falling to Klahowya 52-51 in another classic contest at Bruce Blevins Gymnasium.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the second-place Class A 1992-93 boys basketball team, coaches, players and cheerleaders were recognized during an emotional halftime ceremony.
The Redhawks trailed the Eagles 49-40 with 1:14 to play but put together an 8-0 run, keyed by clutch 3-point shots from Kaiden Parcher and Noa Montoya, and capped by a putback in traffic from Robert Hammett Jr., to pull within 49-48 with 25.6 seconds to play.
Klahowya’s John Hartford hit one of two free throws at the other end and Port Townsend called timeout to set up a play with 17.5 seconds remaining.
The Redhawks inbounded the ball to Parcher, their leading scorer, on the right side of the floor, drawing an immediate double team. Parcher found Montoya open to his left, but Klahowya’s Lucas Becker moved out to get a hand in Montoya’s face as he put up a 3-pointer that hit long off the back iron with 12 seconds to go.
It wasn’t exactly the way Port Townsend coach Tom Webster was hoping that possession would play out.
“We had a nice spurt there at the end,” Webster said. “We had a chance there at the end. We wanted to get the ball to Kaiden, have them collapse on him and send Noa on a zip to the hole to tie it up. But he stopped and put up a 3 and we didn’t need a 3. If you take the ball to the hole they are going to foul you or he’ll pass to an open man.”
Klahowya hit two free throws to seal it, though Port Townsend did draw within one point with 2.8 seconds left on a 3 by Jaden Watkins.
The loss dropped the Redhawks (4-2, 8-7) to a half game behind Klahowya (4-1, 8-7) in the Olympic League 1A standings. Port Townsend won the first game between the team’s earlier this month. The rubber match is the final game of the season, Saturday, Feb. 3 in Silverdale.
“This didn’t knock us out,” Webster said. “It’s a tough loss, but we executed pretty well at the end, we were down by nine with a minute left and we did nearly everything we needed to do to scrap our way back in it.”
Port Townsend was hurt by the absence of starting post Jackson Foster to a violation of team rules and senior point guard Jacob Boucher to illness.
Foster has been a double-double machine for the Redhawks, posting average rebounding totals in the teens in recent games. Port Townsend had problems protecting the rim and keeping Klahowya off the glass without him.
“We struggled without them,” Webster said. “We may struggle to win another game if we aren’t full strength.”
The Redhawks led 25-20 at halftime and that lead grew to 29-20 early in the third quarter.
But the Eagles grew bolder defensively, pressuring Port Townsend into turnovers and attacking inside during a 15-0 run that closed out the third quarter and continued until a Montoya free throw with 7:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Redhawks looked tentative offensively in that stretch, bogging down and giving the ball away to Klahowya multiple times.
“We could have run more sets with Boucher at point, we only ran about three plays all night,” Webster said.
Becker was a terror inside for Klahowya, scoring eight of his 10 points in the third quarter.
“We tried to play some zone, but Becker scored 10 points, eight in the third quarter,” Webster said. “He was just catching the ball, taking a dribble and turning to the hole. Jackson is a bigger presence and we didn’t have him tonight. It was just too easy inside. Those shots weren’t contested.”
Parcher led Port Townsend with 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, three steals and two blocks.
Hammett had nine points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
“Kaiden has to haul a lot of water for us and has done a fantastic job of carrying the load,” Webster said.
“We were missing two starters that are worth a lot more than a penny. We had enough guys to do it [win the game] and we should have, but I’m not disenchanted.
“It was an awesome atmosphere and having that great 1992-93 team on hand was a real treat for our kids and coaching staff.”
Port Townsend hosts the Port Angeles JV on Wednesday.
Klahowya 52, Port Townsend 51
KLA 9 11 13 19— 52
PT 11 14 4 22— 51
Klahowya (52) — Hartford 15, Kraft 11, Smith 11, Becker 10, L. Betzing 3, G. Betzing 2
Port Townsend (51) — Parcher 24, Montoya 15, Hammett 9, Watkins 3, Spencer, Baabahar, Lake.
Port Townsend’s Kaiden Parcher runns around Klahowya’s Lucas Becker during a game on Friday in Port Townsend. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
