UNIVERSITY PLACE — Port Angeles went back-and-forth with two talented Class 4A basketball programs at the Curtis Holiday Classic, dropping two contests by a total of six points, including a 70-68 OT loss to Kentwood on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot.
“Two down-to-the-wire games and in both games I thought we had opportunities to win,” Riders coach Kasey Ulin said. “And to be tested like that, that’s why we are playing these teams.”
Protocols forced Port Angeles to play without starters John Vaara and Xander Maestas for the Kentwood game Friday, a loss of 40 combined points per game plus multiple rebounds, steals and blocked shots.
But the Riders dug deep with Wyatt Dunning leading the charge with 35 points, including a knock-down 3-pointer while well-defended to send the game to overtime.
“Dunning was dialed in and aggressive and assertive,” Ulin said. “The three he made to force OT? We’ve seen big shots like that maybe five or six times this year from him. He’s finding what it takes to carry the load.”
Junior post Tyler Hunter and senior forward James Burkhardt contributed against Kentwood as well.
“Out two guys in John and Xander and you see guys get thrown in the fire and do a great job for us,” Ulin said. “James Burkhardt was phenomenal yesterday, plays 16 minutes and scores six points and grabs six rebounds. And Tyler Hunter has six points, five rebounds and four blocks. That’s valuable experience to have.”
Thursday night, Port Angeles scrapped with Class 4A No. 8 Jackson (5-1), falling 65-61. Vaara and Dunning led the way for the Riders with 16 points.
“On one hand you can be happy with the effort and ability to compete but we think we should have won those games,” Ulin said. “But these games will hopefully make us stronger in late January and February.”
The Riders (1-0, 2-2) played 4A Tahoma late Saturday to wrap the tournament. Port Angeles hosts Bremerton on Wednesday.
Sequim 61, North Mason 50
SEQUIM — The Wolves earned their first Olympic League win at home against the Bulldogs.
Keenan Green knocked down five 3-pointers, four of them after halftime as the Wolves slowly inched away from North Mason.
Isaiah Moore also heated up after halftime, scoring 12 of his 15 after the break.
Pryce Glasser and Tyler Mooney each added eight to lift the Wolves (1-4, 2-5)
Sequim 48, North Mason 37
Seq. 13 3 19 13 — 48
NM 6 8 10 13 — 37
Sequim (48) — Vaara 11, Bates 11, Mixon 7, Stephens 7, Smith 5, Bacon 5, Julmist 2.
Neah Bay 57, Muckleshoot 50
NEAH BAY — Julian Carrick scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Red Devils held back the Kings in a nonleague contest.
Carrick added eight rebounds and two assists.
Jodell Wimberly carried the load in the first half, scoring 10 of his 14 points. He added six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Neah Bay (2-1) is scheduled to play the Port Angeles C Squad at Port Angeles on Wednesday.
Neah Bay 57, Muckleshoot 50
Muc. 6 11 13 20 — 50
NB 8 15 9 25 — 57
Neah Bay (57) — Carrick 24, Wimberly 14, Chambers 7, Ellis 7, Halttunen 3, Sawyer 2.
Raymond at Forks, ppd.
FORKS — Friday’s contest between the Seagulls and Spartans was postponed.
Forks is set to host Hoquiam at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday
Girls Basketball Sequim 48, North Mason 37
BELFAIR — The Wolves overcame some injuries to beat the Bulldogs on the road Thursday.
“We lost [leading scorer] Jelissa [Julmist] in the first quarter,” coach Joclin Julmist said. “She took an elbow to the face splitting her eye open. She didn’t return for the rest of the game.”’
Sequim had to regroup at halftime, up just 16-14.
Freshman Bobbi Mixon also twisted her ankle and had to be helped off the court at the end of the third quarter.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well in the first half but heated up a little in the third quarter making four 3-pointers,” Julmist said.
“Jolene [Vaara] played a very good game, she took over in the fourth quarter. Sammie bacon also gave us a spark off the bench, grabbing some big rebounds and playing solid defense. We are lucky we don’t have a game for a few weeks as it gives us a chance to get healthy.”
Sequim (4-0, 5-1) is off until a Jan. 4 home game against Kingston.
Sequim 61, North Mason 50
NM 8 15 14 13 — 50
Seq. 6 16 19 20 — 61
Sequim (61) — Green 15, Moore 15, Glasser 8, Mooney 8, Possin 7, Smithson 5, Mingoy 3, Thompson.
Raymond 63, Forks 27
RAYMOND — The Spartans didn’t make a ton of mistakes, but couldn’t knock down enough shots to stay with the Seagulls and Washington State-commit Kyra Gardner.
“As a coach different things go through your head during a game and I’m thinking, ‘If we can make some shots we can stay in this game and we didn’t’,” coach David Hurn said.
“We won the turnover battle, 19-18, and if you dissect the game a little bit it came down to made shots. We were 10-of-58 shooting and 0-for-18 on 3-pointers.
They were 26-of-60 and 11-for-15 in the first quarter.”
Gardner had 27 points for Raymond while Forks’ leading scorer Keira Johnson was limited to five points.
“She’s definitely a game changer and in my opinion obviously the best player in the state at our level,” Hurn said.
Forks hosts Neah Bay on Tuesday.
Raymond 63, Forks 27
Ray. 24 11 10 18 — 63
Forks 7 8 3 9 — 27
Forks (27) — Neel 9, Johnson 5, Bouchard 4, Wood 2, Sandoval 2, Gaydeski 2, Baker 2, Wahlersted 1.