The Sequim boys basketball team advanced to today’s 2A West Central District championship game by beating Sumner 52-44 on Saturday night at Foss High School in Tacoma.
The Port Angeles girls, meanwhile, play for third place today after losing in semifinals.
The eighth-ranked Wolves will face No. 4 Clover Park for the district title at the ShoWare Center in Kent today at noon.
The Warriors (16-7) reached the district championship by beating No. 9 White River 64-50 earlier Saturday.
Win or lose today, Sequim (20-3) will play its regional game at Kent-Meridian High School this coming Saturday.
If the Wolves beat Clover Park, they will face their Olympic League co-champion, Olympic.
Sequim and the Trojans split their season series.
If the Wolves lose today, they will play the winner of next week’s Washougal and Hockinson matchup for District 4’s third seed.
Regional games are one-and-out, do-or-die for state berths.
In the girls 2A West Central District tournament, meanwhile, Port Angeles fell to fourth-ranked White River 50-34 on Saturday afternoon.
The Roughriders (16-5) will now play fellow Olympic League team Olympic (17-6) for the district’s third seed to regionals today at Foss High School in Tacoma at 4 p.m.
The Riders have beaten the Trojans twice this year but managed to win by just three points the second time around.
“Olympic has improved during the year,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
If Port Angeles beats the Trojans, it will play Cedarcrest (20-2) in its regional game on Saturday.
A loss to Olympic means the Riders would get a rematch with seventh-ranked Burlington-Edison (18-3). The Tigers beat Port Angeles 69-42 in late December.
In either scenario, the Riders will be playing at Lynden High School this coming Saturday in do-or-die games to state.
Cedarcrest and Burlington-Edison are tied for seventh in final rankings put out by The Associated Press.
Any way you look at it, the Riders will have a Mission Impossible type of assignment in Saturday’s regional game.
Poindexter would prefer to beat Olympic today and avoid playing powerhouse Burling-Edison for a second time.
“They are one of the elite teams in the state,” Poindexter said.
“I think our [lack of] size is a little disadvantage against some of the bigger, more physical teams in state.
“We are capable of winning at regionals but it will take a very, very good game.”
But first is the rematch today with the Trojans and likely Olympic League player of the year Ashli Payne.
Boys Basketball
Sequim 55,
Sumner 48
TACOMA — The two all-star seniors came through in one of the most important games of the season.
Jayson Brocklesby netted 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Gabe Carter swished in 16 and brought down seven rebounds, dished out seven assists and had two steals in the West Central District semifinal victory.
The Wolves led just 12-10 after the first quarter but a 17-10 second period gave them a little more breathing room at 29-20 at halftime.
They increased the lead to 43-33 going into the final stanza, and then held on for the win.
Brocklesby made 10 of 17 shots from the field, including 9 of 13 from 2-point range, while Carter was 3 of 4 from the floor and he connected on 9 of 12 free throws.
Alex Barry added eight points and four rebounds while Anthony Pinza scored six and had three assists.
The Wolves were 19 of 33 in field goals, including 16 of 24 close in.
Sequim 55, Sumner 48
Sequim 12 17 14 12— 55
Sumner 10 10 13 15— 48
Individual scoring
Sequim (55)
Brocklesby 21, Carter 16, Barry 8, Pinza 6, Guan 3, Kallappa 1, Christansen, Shimer.
Sumner (48)
Scoring details not available.
Girls Basketball
White River 50, Port Angeles 34
TACOMA — White River’s Amanda Lance was too much for the Roughriders as she ripped the nets for 27 points in the 2A West Central District semifinal game.
Lance is a sophomore guard.
“I think Lance is the best shooter in district,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“She scored both inside and out. Eight of her points came on 8 of 9 free-throw shooting.
“She hurt us with her outside shooting last year in the district championship game. She did even more damage this year.”
Overall, White River did everything well.
“White River played an excellent all-around game, much of it without their best post player, Kennedy Hobert, who was injured midway through the first half.”
White River also came into the game a guard low. But that didn’t slow the team down.
“They are a very deep team,” Poindexter said.
The smaller Riders got pushed around a bit in the game.
“It was a very physical game,” Poindexter said.
“There was lots and lots of contact. We got beaten up pretty badly.”
All Port Angeles players were held to single-digit scoring as Shayla Northern led the way with eight points.
Mariah Frazier and Macy Walker added seven each, and Maddy Hinrichs added six.
Frazier also had nine rebounds and four steals.
“She had great energy on the court all game long,” Poindexter said.
Walker, meanwhile, also had three assists and two steals.
White River dominated in the first half, outscoring the Riders 16-6 in the first quarter and 17-5 in the second for a dominating 33-11 lead at halftime.
The Riders came back in the second half but it wasn’t enough as they outscored White River 23-17.
White River 50,
Port Angeles 34
White River 16 17 11 6— 50
Port Angeles 6 5 12 11— 34
Individual scoring
White River (50)
Lance 27, Sturdivan 6, Timmerman 5, Mills 4, Goethais 3, Narloski 2, Hobert 3, Gore 1.
Port Angeles (34)
Northern 8, Frazier 7, Walker 7, Hinrichs 6, Jones 4, Boe 2, Milsap, Johnson, Baxley, Lee, Jeffers.