PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend is hosting the 12th annual Crush in the Slush basketball tournament Friday and Saturday with some powerful 3A and 4A schools joining local teams from Neah Bay, Sequim and Port Townsend.
A total of 14 games featuring 14 schools from the Olympic Peninsula, Whatcom County, suburban Vancouver, Kirkland and inner-city Seattle. The Port Townsend boys and girls teams, the Neah Bay boys and girls teams and the Sequim boys team will be playing in the Crush this year.
The teams coming range from the biggest schools in the state — 4A — to 2B schools such as Neah Bay and Friday Harbor.
Other teams are Ferndale (3A), Auburn (4A), Charles Wright (1A), Squalicum (3A), The Northwest School, Friday Harbor (2B), Eastside Prep, Battle Ground (4A) and Cedar Park Christian.
The Sequim boys will take on Ferndale on Friday and will close the tournament by taking on the Port Townsend boys Saturday night. All three of these teams go into the tournament with winning records, so these games should be fun.
The Neah Bay girls will have a big challenge, playing 4A Auburn on Friday. Neah Bay (4-1) enters the game as one of the better 1B teams in the state. Auburn is 4-5 overall. Neah Bay is ranked No. 3 among 1B schools according to its RPI.
The Port Townsend girls will play Friday Harbor on Friday and Neah Bay on Saturday.
The Port Townsend boys open the tournament playing Eastside Prep Friday night and Sequim Saturday night.
The Crush in the Slush schedule:
Friday
10:25 a.m. — Sequim boys vs. Ferndale
12:05 p.m. — Neah Bay girls vs. Auburn
1:45 p.m. — Neah Bay boys vs. Charles Wright
3:25 p.m. — Squalicum girls vs. Battle Ground
5:05 p.m. — The Northwest School boys vs. Friday Harbor
6:45 p.m. — Friday Harbor girls vs. Port Townsend
8:25 p.m. — Port Townsend boys vs. Eastside Prep
Saturday
8:45 a.m. — Battle Ground girls vs. Friday Harbor
10:25 a.m. — Ferndale boys vs. Friday Harbor
12:05 p.m. — Squalicum girls vs. Auburn
1:45 p.m. — Eastside Prep boys vs. Charles Wright
3:25 p.m. — Neah Bay boys vs. The Northwest School
5:05 p.m. — Port Townsend girls vs. Neah Bay
6:45 p.m. — Sequim vs. Port Townsend boys