PORT TOWNSEND — After two years of losing, the Sequim girls basketball team finally got to celebrate.
Leading from start to finish in their second game of the season, the Wolves snapped a 43-game losing streak with a 52-45 victory over Olympic League rival Port Townsend on Tuesday.
“It felt amazing,” Sequim head coach Stephanie Lewis said of getting her first win in her second season at the helm. “The girls have put in so much effort in the offseason and practice and it’s finally starting to pay off.
“It’s just amazing to see it come together and come out with the ‘W.”‘
The Wolves (1-1 in league and overall) surged ahead with an 11-4 first quarter and never looked back, taking a 21-12 lead into halftime and holding off the Redskins from there.
Sequim senior Lea Hopson scored a game-high 23 points and knocked down six free throws in the fourth to seal Sequim’s first win since February 2008.
Hopson, a part of all but two of those 43 losses, also had three steals and five rebounds for the Wolves.
“She just had a solid complete game offensively and defensively,” Lewis said.
Rylleigh Zbaraschuk added nine points in the win, while Taylor Balkan had seven points and Haleigh Harrison six points and 10 rebounds.
“We really came out strong. We kind of made it a mission tonight,” Lewis said. “Friday night [in a 50-42 loss to Olympic] we only played two quarters of basketball. So we came out and made a commitment of playing four quarters.
“These girls are absorbing [information] like sponges.
“We’re really expecting to get a lot more wins this season, not just one.”
Port Townsend (1-1, 1-2) was handed its second straight loss after opening the season with an overtime win over Klahowya.
Senior posts Kerri Evalt and Bella Fox each had 12 points to lead the Redskins, who spent the entire game playing catchup after a four-point first quarter.
Port Townsend got within striking distance near the end of the third quarter only to see Hopson bury three 3-pointers to seize the momentum for Sequim once again.
“We never really recovered from that,” Port Townsend head coach Randy Maag said. “She was the one tonight, definitely.”
Kiley Maag added 11 points for the Redskins, who will host North Kitsap on Friday in their next Olympic League matchup.
“We just came out really flat for some reason,” Randy Maag said. “We had a bad practice last night and it just carried over into tonight.”
Sequim next hosts Chimacum in a nonleague game Thursday night.
SEQUIM 52, PORT TOWNSEND 45
Sequim 11 10 15 18 — 52
Port Townsend 4 8 16 17 — 45
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Sequim (52)
Balkan 7, Hopson 23, Harrison 6, Briones 5, Desand 4, Zbaraschuk 9.
Port Townsend (45)
Whipple 2, Evalt 12, Maag 11, Dowdle 4, Fox 12, Hossack 4.
PORT ANGELES 74, NORTH MASON 29
PORT ANGELES — The Roughriders (2-0 in league and overall) ran roughshod over the Bulldogs for their second straight Olympic League win to open the season Tuesday night.
“We came out and played really good defense,” Port Angeles coach Mike Knowles said.
It started off close but Jessica Madison stepped up for the Riders, scoring 29 points with 19 coming in the second half.
The Port Angeles defense dominated the second half, allowing only eight points from North Mason. That included a Bulldog bagel in the third quarter.
The Riders travel to Olympic on Friday with the game starting at 7 p.m.
PORT ANGELES 74, NORTH MASON 29
North Mason 13 8 0 8 — 29
Port Angeles 14 24 15 21 — 74
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
North Mason (29)
Ingwaldson 8, Willey 8, Stromberg 5, Hicks 2, Zamudio 2, Lake 2, Johnson 2.
Port Angeles (74)
Madison 29, Knowles 14, Jones 12, Jeffers 12, Johnson 7.
CLALLAM BAY 31, HIGHLAND CHRISTIAN 27 (OT)
CLALLAM BAY — Jazzmin Randal, Kirsten Erickson and Jaime Parker each had seven points to lead the Bruins to an overtime victory over the Knights on Tuesday.
Erickson added nine rebounds, while Melissa Willis had seven rebounds, three steals and three assists for the undefeated Bruins (2-0).
Clallam Bay heads to Neah Bay tonight for a nonleague tilt.
CLALLAM BAY 31, HIGHLAND CHRIST. 27
Highland Christ. 8 4 6 6 3 — 27
Clallam Bay 7 4 9 4 7 — 31
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Highland Christian (27)
Brown 13, Kirby 2, Olin 8, Sytsma 4.
Clallam Bay (31)
Willis 2, Randal 7, K. Erickson 7, Parker 7, Welever 4, I. Erickson 4.
Boys Basketball
SEQUIM 54, PORT TOWNSEND 39
PORT TOWNSEND — The Wolves rebounded from a two-point second quarter to rally past the Redskins in Olympic League play Tuesday night.
Gabe Carter had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, while Corbin Webb added 18 points in the Wolves’ first league win of the season.
“Neither of them are real quick, they are just very effective,” Sequim (1-1, 2-1) head coach Greg Glasser said, referencing the two players’ smooth and controlled games.
The Wolves, down 20-17 at the half, took over in the third quarter with an 18-7 frame sparked by a pair of steals from senior Nick Camporini.
“Our guys, they are really young, but they sure showed composure,” Glasser said. “We started to execute, got good looks and they started falling for us.”
Sequim had 11 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times.
Port Townsend, on the other hand, was unable to hold onto a second half lead for the second home game in a row.
That included a season opening loss to Klahowya last Friday.
“We’ve got to execute better,” Port Townsend head coach Tom Webster said. “These games are 32 minutes long. You can’t get on the bus at halftime.
“We just got to keep learning how to compete.”
Jacob DeBerry led the Redskins (0-2, 0-3) with nine points, while Habtamu Rubio and Kylen Solvik each had eight points.
“We were trying,” Webster said. “We just got to get better.”
Sequim hosts former Class 3A Olympic League rival Peninsula tonight at 7 p.m. Port Townsend next travels to North Kitsap on Friday night.
SEQUIM 54, PORT TOWNSEND 39
Sequim 15 2 18 19 — 54
Port Townsend 8 12 7 12 — 39
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Sequim (54)
Carter 19, Webb 18, Brocklesby 3, Camporini 5, Hill 5, Meier 4.
Port Townsend (39)
Rubio 8, Thielk 6, Kelly 5, DeBerry 9, Juran 3, Solvik 8.
PORT ANGELES 59, NORTH MASON 51
BELFAIR — Colin Wheeler dropped in 16 to lead the Riders (1-1, 2-1) to their first Olympic League win of the season Tuesday night.
Keenen Walker added 11 points and Harden McCartney nine as Port Angeles used a 22-12 third quarter to pull away for the road victory.
The Riders host Olympic on Friday night in another league matchup.
PORT ANGELES 59, NORTH MASON 51
Port Angeles 11 10 22 16 — 59
North Mason 10 10 12 19 — 51
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Port Angeles (59)
Phair 3, Morgan 8, Braithwaite 2, Walker 11, Ward 8, Wheeler 16, McCartney 9, Smith 2.
North Mason (51)
Bielec 4, Barker 8, Bishop 14, Casteel 6, Sanquist 7, Frender 4, Burley 8.
CLALLAM BAY 78, HIGHLAND CHRISTIAN 35
CLALLAM BAY — Highland Christian was no match for the Bruins in a nonleague win Tuesday.
Jacob Portnoy took control scoring 17 points for the Bruins as they ran away with the win.
Clallam Bay travels to Neah Bay today with tip off starting at 5 p.m.
CLALLAM BAY 78, HIGHLAND CHRISTIAN 35
Highland Chr. 7 16 11 1 — 35
Clallam Bay 18 22 22 16 — 78
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Highland Christian (35)
Ca. Wold 19, Star 7, Mathews 4, Andrews 3, Co. Wold 2.
Clallam Bay (78)
Portnoy 17, James 10, Willis 10, Folks 9, Ky Hess 9, Ke Hess 8.
Boys Swimming
PORT ANGELES 110, OLYMPIC 73
SILVERDALE — The Riders claimed their first Olympic League dual meet of the year while putting up 12 individual district qualifying times and one state qualifying time Tuesday.
Tyler Burke led the charge in the pool, putting up a state time in the 100-yard backstroke of 58.42 seconds. He also qualified for districts in the 100 freestyle in 51.97.
Also putting up multiple district qualifying times for the Riders were Charlie Parks (200 free, 500 free, 200 medley), C.J. Urnes (200 and 500 free), Chris Wannquist (200 and 500 free) and Avery Koehler (200 medley and 100 fly).
Port Angeles also qualified all three relays for districts, winning both the 200 medley relay (Burke, Matt Watkins, Koehler, Parks) and 400 free relay (Koehler, Parks, Urnes, Burke).
Port Angeles next hosts Bremerton on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in another Olympic League meet.
(Monday) Girls Basketball
QUILCENE 51, CRESCENT 16
QUILCENE — The Rangers rode a 21-1 third quarter to a dominating nonleague victory over the Loggers on Monday night.
Sarah Bacchus had 17 points and Amy Kaiser 15 for the Rangers, who are now 2-1 in nonleague play this year.
Sara Moore led the Loggers with 11 points and eight rebounds.
QUILCENE 51, CRESCENT 16
Away 3 6 1 6 — 16
Quilcene 12 6 21 12 — 51
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Crescent (16)
Moore 11, Jakubova 3, McGowan 2.
Quilcene (51)
Bacchus 17, Kaiser 15, Weed 9, Turley 6, Hughes 2, Knutzen 2