Of course it ended like this, just like this.
Sequim’s Wolves ended a record breaking-season in fine fashion in Yakima on Saturday, knocking off Othello on a last-second shot and locking up a fourth place finish at the class 2A state tournament.
Fittingly, it was senior guard Hannah Bates who put the Wolves (23-4) over the top, hitting a layup with five seconds left to complete a double-digit comeback to beat Othello 34-32 on March 4, and earn the Wolves their best finish in program history.
Following an opening round loss to top-ranked Ellensburg, Sequim reeled off three wins in four games, their lone loss coming in the quarterfinals in overtime to White River.
“It was a great finish to my career and the season,” Bates said.
“I know we all wish we should have made the [championship game] and got 1, 2 [or] 3, but fourth is fine, it’s great. We got a trophy. It’s just all really good especially for the seniors.”
In addition to its state placing, this Sequim squad earned its first undefeated league campaign, most wins in the regular season (18), most overall wins (22) and its first state tourney victory past the regional round. (Sequim qualified for the 3A tournament in 1985-1986 and 1986-1987 and the 2A state tourney in 2006-07, but didn’t place.)
Bates and junior Jolene Vaara were both named to the class 2A all-tournament basketball team, as voted on by the media representatives.
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim’s Jelissa Julmist, background, passes to teammate Sammie Bacon in the first half of the Wolves’ 57-37 win over Sammamish on March 1, in a Round of 12 game of the class 2A state tourney in Yakima.
Vaara averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. Bates averaged 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and three steals per game, committing just five turnovers in 117 minutes on game action.
Bates had 12 steals in the tourney, which tied the 2A tournament record (2017-present), and Vaara upped that, finishing the tourney with 14 steals, a record she now shares with Prosser’s Adriana Milanez, who had 14 steals in three tourney games.
Teammate Jelissa Julmist broke the 2017-present tourney record with 48 rebounds, topping the previous record of 40 (Kendall Bird, White River, 2017).
“Happy for the girls; [it was a] good way to end the season,” Sequim coach Joclin Julmist said.
Overcoming Othello
Down 22-11 at halftime and 29-21 in their consolation final against Othello, Sequim’s defense clamped down once again to out-score the Huskies 10-3 for the win.
“We started off slow couldn’t get in the flow of the game, but in the second half we found our pace and were able to get back into the game,” Joclin Julmist said.
“We were forcing the ball too much [down low],” Bates said of the first half deficit.
“They recognized that; they were triple-teaming Jelissa. We just kind of slowed ourselves down and attacked their weaknesses.”
Sequim held Othello without a field goal for the final six-and-a-half minutes and held the Huskies to 12-of-47 shooting (25.6 percent).
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim’s Hannah Bates leads a fastbreak in the first half of SHS’s 57-37 win over Sammamish at the class 2A state tournament in Yakima on March 1.
Vaara finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds — 10 on the offensive glass — while teammate Jelissa Julmist went for 11 points and eight rebounds, and sank two of Sequim’s three 3-pointers.
“They double[d] Jelissa and Jolene all day, but they played lights out in the second half,” Joclin Julmist said.
Besides hitting the game-winner, Bates had eight points, six rebounds and two assists. And perhaps most importantly, she had no turnovers in 30 minutes on the court.
“Hannah did a great job on both sides; she is an amazing leader,” Joclin Julmist said. “She takes care of the ball and makes good decisions on offense. She’s going to be missed.”
Bates said playing their fourth game in as many days wore her down.
“Walking onto the court that last game, I thought my quads were going to give out on me,” she said.
Bates had enough in her for the final play, however.
“It was not supposed to be for me,” Bates said. “We were trying to get Jelissa open or hit Jolene on a curl, but I think they were just too preoccupied with Jelissa. The lane just opened, and I took it.”
SHS surges late, takes down Tumwater
Sequim used a stifling defense to shut down the fifth-seeded Tumwater 38-24 in the state consolation semifinals on March 3, keeping their season alive for one more game.
The Wolves held the Thunderbirds (20-7) to just eight points at halftime and taking a 23-8 lead at the break.
At one point, the Thunderbirds were shooting just 1-of-19 (5.3 percent) from the field.
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim guard Taryn Johnson, left, drives to the basket in the second half of the Wolves’ 57-37 win over Sammamish in the class 2A state tournament in Yakima on March 1.
Sequim was comparatively better, hitting 15-of-45 (33.3 percent) from the field.
“It was a much better day shooting the ball,” Joclin Julmist said.
Meanwhile, Vaara made Tumwater pay, leading the team with 17 points.
“Jolene was good getting out on the breaks and finishing,” Julmist said. “She also did a good job playing defense and stayed out of foul trouble.”
Jelissa Julmist nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, and Bates added 10 points and four rebounds.
“Hannah did a great job leading us tonight on both sides,” Joclin Julmist said. “Jelissa had a better game today. She worked hard.”
The Sequim coach had high praise for guard Taryn Johnson.
“Taryn was special on both sides,” Joclin Julmist said. “Even though she didn’t score, she had a huge impact on the outcome of the game. She played great defense and was always in help side. She had some good passes today.”
Kyle Waltermeyer led Tumwater with 12 points and eight rebounds, but Sequim held the Thunderbird star scorer to 4-of-24 from the field. Overall, Tumwater shot just 9-of-58 (15.5 percent).
Sequim falls in quarters
A cold night shooting from the field and from the line kept Sequim from knocking off White River in the quarterfinals of the class 2A state girls basketball tournament on March 2, as the Hornets edged the Wolves 44-37 in overtime.
In a back-and-forth, low-scoring affair, the Wolves jumped out to an early lead, then had to battle back from a seven-point deficit in the third quarter, and survived a turnover-filled fourth quarter — some without Vaara, their leading scorer, who fouled out — but in the end ran out of gas against seventh-seeded White River.
“The girls played hard tonight, but couldn’t get the ball in the basket,” Joclin Julmist said.
Sequim managed to draw plenty of fouls but simply couldn’t convert at the line, sinking just eight of 27 (29.6 percent).
The Wolves struggled from the field as well, going 14-for-54 (26 percent) overall and just one-of-10 from 3-point range.
In a game that saw both teams turn the ball over 21 times apiece, Sequim stayed in the contest with strong defense, holding the Hornets to 14-of-53 from the field (26.4 percent).
“The defense was good, but we just couldn’t make baskets,” Julmist said.
Jelissa Julmist faced double and triple teams, her coach/father noted, and was just 1-of-15 from the field, though she grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.
Vaara had 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals before fouling halfway through the fourth quarter. Bates chipped in nine points and two steals.
“Hannah did a great job running the show,” Joclin Julmist said.
He praised guard Johnson for her defense and rebounding by posts Dani Herman (nine rebounds) and Sammie Bacon (seven).
“Tough loss; they were right there,” Joclin Julmist said.
Sequim tops Sammamish
A second half run on March 1 helped the Wolves keep their historic run going. Jelissa Julmist had a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds to help Sequim survive a loser-out match-up against Sammamish, 57-37.
“Jelissa was a beast on the boards,” Joclin Julmist said.
Vaara had a team-high 14 points and Bates added 14 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four assists.
“Hannah did a great job leading tonight and … Jolene was really good the second half getting her hands on stuff and creating easy baskets,” Joclin Julmist said.
The Sequim coach had high praise for Johnson’s defense and passing, Sammie Bacon and Dani Herman for their post play and Libby Turella for defense and a key first half shot to stymie a Sammamish run.
Sequim jumped out to a 10-4 lead and a 23-18 advantage by halftime, and the Redhawks rebounded midway through the third quarter and briefly held a one-point lead, but a Vaara steal sparked a big run to give SHS a 37-29 lead after three quarters.
In the final frame it was all Wolves, as they outscored the 16th-seeded Sammamish squad, 20-8.
“The girls stepped it up on the defensive side in the second half,” Joclin Julmist said. “We did a pretty good job on the boards not giving them second chances.”
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim’s Hannah Bates (2) and Hailey Wagner (32) celebrate the Wolves’ Round of 12 victory at the class 2A state tournament in Yakima on March 1.
