Photo: Port Angeles girls look to lock up Olympic League championship Tuesday night
By Oly Archibald
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Roughriders (11-1; 13-6) girls basketball team can clinch an Olympic League championship tonight against Sequim 10-3 12-4.
In reality the Roughriders have already won it. If Sequim did upset the Riders tonight, the Roughriders would have to then lose to last-place Bremerton. Bremerton is 1-11 in league play and has lost their league games by an average of 18 points per game. If that happened Sequim would tie the Roughriders for the league championship.
The Roughriders beat the Wolves 66-64 on January 11th. Roughrider guard Teanna Clark had the game of her life hitting for 23 points. Point Guard Izzy Felton ran the show scoring 13 points by getting into the paint or hitting open teammates like Lexie Smith who hit for 13 points. Kenzi Moses came off the bench and hit 2 big 3-point shots.
Sequim jumped out to a 20-12 lead with Guard Gracie Chartraw hitting four 3-point shots. However, the Roughriders then went to a box and 1 with Felton on Chartraw and Chartraw did not score another point.
The Roughriders and Wolves should go into the district tournament as the #2 and 3 seeds with the winner of tonight’s game getting the higher seed. White River, ranked #1 in the state will be the #1 seed and Enumclaw should be the #4 seed. If the Wolves and Roughriders get at least a #4 seed, they will host a winner-to-the regionals game. There is a huge drop off in talent from #5 down. Right now, Kingston who the Wolves and Roughriders have destroyed would be the #5 seed with Sammamish 13-6 at #6.
Tip off tonight is at 7:00 following the boys game.
The Roughriders (9-3; 13-6) and the Sequim boys (5-8; 10-9) will tip off tonight at 5:15. The Roughriders cruised to a 77-52 win at Sequim on January 11th.
A Roughrider win and the Roughriders will host 7th ranked Bremerton Thursday night for the Olympic League’s 2nd spot. Bremerton was blown out at Bremerton by North Kitsap 79-38 last Friday night. It’s still a head scratcher how the Roughriders lost at Bremerton 74-62 earlier in the season when the Roughriders led by 14 points in the first half and lead by 8 points with 7 minutes left. Bremerton then put on the full court press and Bremerton went on a run the Roughriders could not stop.
Right now. the upcoming district tournament appears to be super tough with the district getting 6 teams to the Regionals. In order by the RPI rankings are North Kitsap, Bremerton, White River, Port Angeles, Renton, Sammamish, Franklin Pierce and Foss.
You can hear tonight’s games here on KONP Newsradio with the Les Schwab Tires pre game show starting at 5:00. On the Roughrider VIP Halftime Show we will have a live interview with Roughrider swimmers Finn Thompson and Colby Ellefson.
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The Steven’s Middle School Stampeders continue to dominate this year.
Stevens 8th grade basketball team is 6-0.
Bottom row Clara Berry Persephone Perry, Alaina Alice. Madison Smith, Kelsey Ross Stoughton, Catherine Chance, Top row: Head Coach Lauren Lunt, London Bourland, Storey Schmidt, Lillian Mahanely, Madeline Walton. Sariah Doherty Not pictured: Elvira Tinoco Wheeler
Stevens 7th grade basketball team
Bottom row Kya Baker, Nya Langdon, Darcy King, Alice Shields Top row: Maelyn Benedict, Lainey Rudd, Layla Parker, Ava Lowery Not pictured: Allison Leitz and Cela Waknitz.