Round one goes to Sequim.
The Wolves opened their Olympic League campaign in fine fashion on Dec. 9 with a 68-53 home win against Bremerton, building a 32-22 lead by halftime before clinching the game in the third quarter.
Sequim outscored the Knights 21-10 in that frame, 12 points coming from Sequim senior Alex Barry.
Ten players scored for Sequim, led by seniors Barry and Vance Willis. Barry hit eight of 14 shots for 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Willis hit three 3-pointers en route to 17 points and had seven rebounds. Barry and Josh McConnaughey had three blocks each. Willis and Payton Glasser had four assists each.
“I like the way we’re playing and I like the potential we have,” Sequim coach Greg Glasser said.
“We’re turning the ball over too much right now,” he noted. “If we don’t take care of the ball, we’re going to pay.”
The teams meet again on Jan. 16 to complete the season series.
Sequim (3-1 as of Dec. 14) played less than gracious hosts to the visitors from Mount Tahoma, knocking off the Thunderbirds on Dec. 11, 57-39.
Barry keyed the offense with 22 points — 16 at the half — to go along with 13 rebounds and four steals, while teammate Jackson Oliver added 15 points, going a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line.
Mount Tahoma grabbed a 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and a layup by Nick Dennis made it 15-11 — Mount Tahoma’s biggest lead of the game. Barry sank back-to-back 3-pointers to grab a 17-15 lead. Mount Tahoma’s Tavon Shelley tied the game at 18-18 with a 3-pointer, but Oliver’s fast break bucket gave Sequim a lead they’d never relinquish. Barry had an alley-oop layup pass to Payton Glasser to cap Sequim’s 10-point run at 28-18.
The Wolves’ 28-21 halftime lead only grew in the third quarter with Oliver scoring 11 of his points in the frame, helping Sequim grab a 46-31 advantage. Willis pushed their lead to 18 (49-31) with a 3-pointer from the corner to start the fourth quarter.
Bailey Early finished nine points, Glasser had seven points and Dustin Bates added five assists.
Dennis led Mount Tahoma with 19 points.
Tahoma’s junior varsity squad edged Sequim’s 58-56 in overtime.
Looking ahead
Sequim was scheduled to play Port Townsend on Dec. 15.
The Wolves are at Kingston on Dec. 17 and host Olympic on Dec. 19 before playing a pair of non-league games versus I-5 corridor teams: Ingraham on Dec. 29 and Sammamish on Dec. 30.
Olympic League standings (as of Dec. 14)
Team Lg. Over.
Sequim 1-0 3-1
No. Kitsap 1-0 4-1
No. Mason 0-0 3-2
Olympic 0-0 3-2
Pt. Angeles 0-0 1-0
Bremerton 0-1 0-4
Kingston 0-1 2-2
