PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles basketball boys went up against a red-hot shooter from Blaine and came within a play or two down the stretch of pulling out a victory.
In a game that was tight and exciting throughout, the Roughriders lost to Blaine 62-60 and the Borderites’ Ben Adams drilled five 3-pointers from all over the court and ended up pouring in 33 points. The Riders’ Luke Angevine went toe-to-toe with Adams in what felt like a personal duel and scored 26 points of his own.
Grayson Peet also scored 13 for the Riders, while Noah McGoff scored eight Carson Shamp seven.
Riders coach Kasey Ulin said he was happy with the team’s effort, but it was a culmination of a lot of little things that cost Port Angeles the game.
“In a close game, the little things are very important. We have to improve doing the little things,” he said.
As an example, in one frustrating sequence late in the fourth quarter, the Riders kept getting the rebound down on their end, but missed four or five contested layups that could’ve changed the tone of the game. Ulin said the Riders missed at least 10 makeable layups in the game and could’ve been up 10 or more in the fourth quarter.
“We’re getting there. We have a long ways to go, but for early in the season, I like where we’re at,” Ulin said. He said playing tough pre-conference games against teams like Blaine will make the Riders stronger during the league games coming up this week, beginning Monday against Bremerton.
Ulin thought Angevine had a great game.
“We ask a lot out of him. He was solid tonight. He’s got unlimited potential,” Ulin said.
Neither team was able to build up any kind of lead in the back-and-forth affair. Blaine went on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter with an 18-13 lead, but the Riders stormed back in the second when a Grayson Peet 3-pointer tied the game at 21-21. Blaine went into the half up 29-27, as Adams had 14 first-half points and Angevine nine.
Angevine and Adams both took over at times in the second half, as Adams scored 19 and Angevine 17.
After Adams hit a pair of 3-pointers, including one from 23-24 feet out, Blaine surged to a 41-36 lead late in the third quarter.
But, Angevine and Carson Shamp both hit threes and Liam Clark had a rebound and a putback.
Peet had a great sequence of plays, hitting a three, then stripping Adams of the ball and getting a bucket during a 15-4 run, giving Port Angeles a lead of 51-45 with 5:45 left to play.
Blaine responded with a 9-0 run of its own behind two straight 3-pointers from Michael Baldwin to regain the lead at 54-51.
The teams traded baskets and Adams put the dagger through the Riders’ heart with 51 seconds left, hitting a 28-foot 3-pointer with eight on the shot clock to give the Borderites a 61-55 lead.
Angevine was fouled and hit two free throws, then after a missed Riders’ shot, Angevine got the rebound and calmly hit a baseline trey to make it 61-60 with 8.3 seconds left. Port Angeles had to foul and was never able to get a final shot off after a missed free throw.
The Roughriders (2-1, 1-0) host Bremerton at 7 p.m. today.
Blaine 62, Port Angeles 60
Blaine 18 11 14 19— 62
Port Angeles 13 14 14 19— 60
Blaine (62) — Adams 33, Ball 2, Kortlever 4, Baldwin 8, Knutzen 3, Vega 8, Jensen 4.
Port Angeles (60) — Angevine 26, Peet 13, McGoff 8, Shamp 7, Joslin 2, Edwards 2, Clark 2.
Girls Basketball
Peninsula 52, Port Angeles 36
PORT ANGELES — The Roughriders went up against a good 3A team in Peninsula and lost 52-36.
The Roughriders at times stayed with the 5-1 Seahawks (who have also beaten Olympic by 13 points), going on a nice run in the third quarter to cut Peninsula’s lead to six points.
“They might be the best team we’ll see all year. Them and North Kitsap,” said Riders coach Michael Poindexter.
Poindexter thought the Riders did a good job early in the game and handling Peninsula’s pressure. He said their zone bothered the Seahawks at times, and the Riders did an acceptable job of controlling Peninsula’s star post player Belle Frazier.
But, he also felt his players allowed the Seahawks too many open looks on their outside shots. Peninsula hit four 3-pointers in the game.
“We have to close out better. He have to anticipate better and be quicker,” Poindexter said.
The game was close early, as the Riders took a brief lead of 10-9 early in the second quarter after a pair of free throws by Mikkiah Brady. But the Seahawks, behind 5-11 Frazier and a 5-0 guard Mackenzie Walch, outscored Port Angeles 14-5 to end the half, going into the break up 23-15.
The Riders came out strong at the beginning of the second half. Nizhoni Wheeler had two steals, then forced another turnover on a jump ball. She hit Cheyenne Wheeler with long passes for two buckets. Cheyenne added another bucket, as did Kyrsten McGuffey, as Port Angeles fought back to make the score 23-29 midway through the third quarter.
But, again, Peninsula closed out a quarter strong, going on a 7-0 run to end the third. The Seahawks added another bucket to take a 38-23 lead early in the fourth quarter, essentially putting the game out of reach.
Frazier ended the game with 15 and Walch with 12 for the Seahawks.
For the Riders, Cheyenne Wheeler had 10, with six of her points coming in a flurry in the third quarter, while Brady and McGuffey had eight points each.
Port Angeles (2-1, 1-0) will play at 7 p.m. today at Bremerton.
Peninsula 52, Port Angeles 36
Peninsula 9 14 13 16— 52
Port Angeles 8 7 8 13— 36
Peninsula (52) — Frazier 15, Walch 12, Ritchie 8, Olive 6, Richter 4, Palagyi 3, Waage 2, Smith 2.
Port Angeles (36) — C. Wheeler 10, McGuffey 8, Brady 8, Lunt 4, N. Wheeler 4, Long 2.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Kiana Robideau, top, slips past teammate Lauren Lunt, left, and Peninsula’s Taryn Richter in first-quarter action on Saturday in Port Angeles.
