FORKS — Neah Bay deployed a deep bench to outpace an improved Forks squad in a 47-38 nonleague girls basketball game.
It just took a little time as both teams played some sluggish basketball in the early going of Friday’s contest.
“We started real slow,” Red Devils coach Tony McCaulley said. “We’ve beaten Forks a few years in a row and maybe the girls thought it was going to be easy, maybe.”
Neah Bay led 13-9 after one quarter and 20-18 at halftime after the Spartans’ Bailee Kratzer connected on a 3-point basket at the halftime buzzer.
But the Red Devils picked up their tempo in the third period, sparked by junior point guard Gina McCaulley.
McCaulley scored 7 of her 10 points and dished out two pretty assists for easy layups in the third as the Red Devils shut out Forks 13-0 and took a 33-18 lead into the fourth quarter.
“I challenged the girls a bit at halftime and they came out and played pretty dang good,” McCaulley said. “Usually you can’t turn the switch like that, but they responded real well.”
Tristin Johnson and Cheyenna Svec each scored 11 to lead Neah Bay.
“Tristin played well for us,” McCaulley said. “And Cheyenna has really been working on her game. I’m really happy with how she’s started the season.
McCaulley is excited about his team’s prospects this season.
“We’re a lot deeper than we have been,” he said.
“Starlena [Haltunnen] came in and played scrappy for us. The Winck girl [Kayla] is tall and she gave us some good minutes down low.
“Vonte [Aguirre] is just really, really athletic down there in the post. She’ll beat people down to get layups on the break and she just works hard at it.”
Despite the troublesome third quarter, Forks didn’t quit on the game, responding with a 20-point fourth quarter.
Freshman Rian Peters hit for nine of her game-high 12 points in the fourth, while Skyler Dematties added 10 points and freshman Jayden Olson hit three 3s in the game.
The Spartans (1-6) will next play in the Holiday with the Hyaks Tournament at North Beach on Thursday, Dec. 29.
Neah Bay (2-0) faced Seattle Lutheran on Saturday and hosts Taholah on Monday.
Neah Bay 47, Forks 38
Neah Bay 13 7 13 14— 47
Forks 9 9 0 20— 38
Neah Bay (47) — Johnson 11, Svec 11, McCaulley 10, Haltunnen 5, Gagnon 4, Aguirre 4, Balderson 2
Forks (38) — Peters 12, DeMatties 10, Olson 9, Kratzer 5, Rowley 2.
________
Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
