JOYCE — Crescent emerged from a rough-and-tumble fight with Neah Bay with a 52-50 North Olympic League boys basketball victory at home Wednesday.
Senior night showdown
“What a battle on our senior night,” Loggers coach Chris Ferrier said. “The kids from Neah Bay hustled and flew all over the gym and at times made us play at an uncomfortable pace.
“My guys were able to maintain composure in enough key points in the game to pull this one out. It was a physical, gritty game. Lots of bodies flying for both sides, lots of guys diving on the floor for loose balls.
“I know we wanted this one badly, Neah Bay definitely did too.”
It was just a really good ballgame, there was a great crowd, the band was loud and boisterous and it was just a really awesome atmosphere to play in.”
With the win, Crescent (4-3, 8-8) takes the upper hand on the North Olympic League’s second seed to the Tri-District Tournament on Neah Bay (3-3, 4-11), having bested the Red Devils in two out of three games this season.
The Loggers also got some revenge for Monday’s 68-46 loss at Neah Bay.
“We really got to the rim and finished much better than Monday,” Ferrier said. “Brendan Bergstrom attacked hard in the first quarter and set the tone. Gabe Ritchie was a steady bucket-getter for us, he seemed to hit shots whenever we needed a bucket.”
Ritchie led all scorers with 16 points, while Bergstrom added 11.
“Timmy Ward played the best game of his career,” Ferrier said. “He’s usually a rebounder and defender but he had three really big buckets in key stretches of the game. Brayden Emery was a human floor burn, he was diving on everything that was on the ground. We played with a short bench and everyone really contributed in their own way.”
Ferrier said the Red Devils nearly took control in the second half.
“I know they tied it once or twice in the second half,” Ferrier said. “There was a point in the third quarter where we were a little fatigued and throwing the ball all over the lot — but again Tim got a big bucket inside off a nice feed from Eric [Emery] and stopped the bleeding.”
Ferrier praised Neah Bay’s toughness.
“I can’t say enough about Neah and how hard they battled us, and how hard [our] guys played,” Ferrier said. “It was really a tremendous high school basketball game.”
The Red Devils were led by 12 points from Darrin Horejsi, and 11 apiece from Julian Carrick and Captain Claplanhoo.
Crescent hosts Chimacum in a nonleague game tonight.
Neah Bay visits first-place Chief Kitsap tonight.
Crescent 52, Neah Bay 50
Neah Bay 7 13 14 16— 50
Crescent 9 16 14 13— 52
Neah Bay (50) — Horejsi 12, Carrick 11, Claplanhoo 11, Martinez 6, Halttunen 6, Lovik 2, Croy 2, Chambers, Vitalis.
Crescent (52) — Ritchie 16, Bergstrom 11, B. Emery 10, E. Emery 6, Ward 6, Owens 3, Hale.
Girls Basketball
Neah Bay 73, Crescent 13
JOYCE — The Red Devils started hot, sinking 50 percent of their shots in the first quarter to take a 25-2 lead, and never looked back in a North Olympic League win on Wednesday.
Laila Greene led Neah Bay with 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including 4 of 7 on 3-point shots. Greene added eight rebounds in the win.
Allie Greene added 12 points for the Red Devils, hitting 5 of 8 shots, including 2 of 3 3-point tries.
Cei’J Gagnon hit for 10 points, five steals and three assists for Neah Bay while Ezrah Ray added nine points six rebounds and two steals.
Chloe Conat had seven points to lead Crescent.
Neah Bay (5-0, 10-5) visits Chief Kitsap tonight. The Red Devils will begin Tri-District Tournament play at Port Angeles High School at 6 p.m. Feb. 18.
Crescent (0-5, 2-9) visits Clallam Bay tonight.
Neah Bay 73, Crescent 13
Neah Bay 25 20 13 15— 73
Crescent 2 4 4 3— 13
Neah Bay (73) — L. Greene 16, A. Greene 12, Gagnon 10, Ray 9, Aguirre 8, Ru. Moss 6, Yallup 5, Woodruff 3, Horejsi 2, Ry. Moss 2, Lovik.
Crescent (13) — Conat 7, Moore 4, Mandeville 2, Cargo, Matumeak, Belford, Clark, Knight, Blevins.
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
