PREP BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: Sequim rally comes up short against Bainbridge

Published 5:15 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2026

BAINBRIDGE — Sequim started strong, suffered a lull before the Wolves played themselves back into the contest, but ultimately didn’t have the energy to complete a double-digit comeback in a 77-66 West Central District 3 Tournament boys basketball quarterfinal on Wednesday night.

The Wolves (10-11) will now host rival Port Angeles (11-10) tonight at 8 p.m. in a loser-out contest at Rick Kaps Gymnasium. The teams split the season series, each winning on their respective home court, 58-55 for Port Angeles on Jan. 6 and 71-66 for Sequim on Jan. 30. A Neah Bay girls playoff game will be played at 6 p.m. in the same gym.

Open looks were there in the early going for Sequim on the road against fellow Olympic League opponent, league runner-up Bainbridge (16-5) as Mason Rapelje connected on a 3-pointer and Solomon Sheppard penetrated inside against the Spartans initial 2-3 zone defense for an impressive two-handed slam dunk in traffic and a 9-4 Wolves’ lead.

Bainbridge is now coached by former North Kitsap state championship winner Scott Orness, and like his Vikings teams, these Spartans are a composed group and weren’t rattled by the early deficit.

Olympic League first-team sophomore Ryan Rohrbacher heated up, hitting two of Bainbridge’s three 3-point buckets during a 15-2 Spartans run to take a 19-13 lead.

Early foul trouble led Bainbridge to cash in at the free-throw line in the second quarter as the Spartans connected on 9-of-10 freebies

Rohrbacher had eight more in the second quarter and 6-foot-8 Kethan Reed added seven more as Bainbridge went up 43-32 at halftime.

Sheppard wasn’t finished, however, as the senior scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the third quarter, including knocking down all eight free-throw attempts.

After two pairs of Hunter Tennell free throws and Sheppard free throws cut the lead to six 52-46 late in the third.

A pair of unexpected short jump shots inside by freshman Paddy Brooks lifted Sequim to within three at 64-61, midway through the fourth, but the Wolves couldn’t get the stops they needed defensively or hit enough shots on the offensive end in the final minutes to sustain the comeback attempt.

Rapelje scored 14. Rohrbacher had 23 for Bainbridge and Reed 25.

Bainbridge 77, Sequim 66

Sequim 16 16 23 11 — 66

Bainbridge 19 24 21 13 — 77

Sequim (66) — Sheppard 28, Rapelje 14, Bacchus 6, Schmadeke 6, Tennell 6, Brooks 4, Buhrer 2.