Boys basketball: Wolves knock off league-leading Vikings

Published 1:57 pm Thursday, February 5, 2015

by MICHAEL DASHIELL

Sequim Gazette

In a showdown between two of the Olympic League’s top teams, North Kitsap’s Vikings had the early answers.

Sequim’s Wolves, however, had the last laugh.

Alex Barry had 22 points, Jackson Oliver sank four 3-pointers, Josh McConnaughey had a near double-double (eight points, nine rebounds) and all seven seniors scored on Sequim High’s Senior Night in a key 69-62 victory Tuesday night.

“This (North Kitsap) is the kind of team I want to play every night,” Sequim coach Greg Glasser said last week. “I may get my wish. From here on out, it’s going to be tough (but) we’re heading into districts the right way.”

Sequim finishes its regular season at 9-3 in league play and 14-6 overall. With the Olympic League’s No. 3 seed, the Wolves move on to play at Lindbergh, the Seamount League’s

No. 2-seeded team, on Feb. 12 in the opening round of the West Central District tournament.

“We expect the 20 games we’ve played us have prepared us,” Glasser said. “We’re going to play a one-game season. I think our guys are ready.”

With both teams having plenty to play for Tuesday night (North Kitsap’s defeat means they slipped into a two-way tie with Olympic), it was all Vikings early on. Six-foot 10-inch NK post Calvin Dennis was dominant with 19 points and a half-dozen blocks.

But foul trouble kept the North Kitsap senior off the court for much of the first and third quarters, and by the time Dennis fouled out with 40 seconds left, the host Wolves were celebrating a big Olympic League victory.

Glasser and fellow Sequim coaches said it may be the team’s best overall effort to date.

A host of Vikings propelled their squad to a 12-3 first quarter lead against Sequim, with Brooks Ellingsen knocking down a 3-pointer and Dennis getting getting the three on a hoop and foul. Sequim kept things close as Barry, the SHS senior sharpshooter, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers of his own, trimming the NK lead to 16-13 after one quarter.

Baskets by Dennis, Cooper Lindsey and David Perry early in the second pushed the Viking lead back to double digits (23-13). Dennis began finding holes in the Sequim defense, zipping a pass to a streaking Lindsey for a basket and then muscling inside for two more layups in the quarter to give his squad a 29-18 lead.

Sequim managed to keep the Vikings from pulling away thanks to long-range shots from Barry and Jackson Oliver, with North Kitsap taking a 34-27 lead into halftime.

The turning point came on the first play of the third quarter, as Sequim post Josh McConnaughey worked his way inside for a basket and drew Dennis’ third foul to start a 10-0 Sequim run. Four minutes later, Dennis picked up his fourth foul, drawing protest and a technical foul from the North Kitsap bench. Barry sank both technical free throws and scored on the ensuing Sequim possession; the Wolves went up 40-37 and never trailed after that.

With Dennis on the bench, Ellingsen and Cole Rabedeaux led a Viking comeback in the fourth quarter. Timely baskets by Barry, Oliver and Sequim reserve Adrian Espinoza, however, kept Sequim one step ahead.

With Dennis back in the mix for the final few minutes, it was Rabedeaux willing his way to the basket for a layup to cut Sequim’s lead to 62-59 with 1:03 on the clock.

Sequim guard Dusty Bates, who finished with nine points, hit a pair of free throws to push Sequim’s lead back to five. Moments later Dennis fouled out, effectively ending the NK comeback.

“We didn’t want them to beat us from the perimeter,” Glasser said. “I think the game plan kind of paid off.”

SHS seniors Espinoza and Vance Willis had seven points each as the Wolves shot 12-of-21 from 3-point range (57 percent). Austin Adams and Alex Rutherford added two points each in what was likely their final home game.

“Our energy (was the difference,” Rutherford said. “We had a lot of ball movement and spread the floor.”

Eight of the nine Wolves players had assists, led by Barry’s four. Barry also had 17 rebounds; he and McConnaughey had six offensive rebounds apiece.

Rabedeaux tied Dennis for the Viking team lead with 19 points while Ellingsen added 14 points.