Sequim Gazette staff

 

The season is over, but Sequim Middle School’s eighth-grade boys’ squad got a little extra time to play.

The Timberwolves split a pair of overtime thrillers, topping Neah Bay on Jan. 23 and falling to rival Stevens (Port Angeles) on Jan. 25 to finish their 2011-12 campaign at 7-2 overall.

 

Against Neah Bay, the home Sequim team took the early lead in the first half but Neah Bay came out strong in the second half to take a four-point lead in the third quarter. Sequim battled back to tie the game late, and a last-second Neah Bay shot fell short, sending the teams into overtime tied at 40-40.  

 

“Neah Bay is a good team — they are tough inside and have talented athletes,” Sequim coach Kris Henrikson said. “In overtime, I felt the momentum was in our favor.”

 

The Timberwolves outscored Neah Bay 7-4 in overtime for the 47-44 win. Jackson Oliver led the team with 14 points, while Julian Cruz and Thomas Winfield added six points each.  Daniel Harker and Arnold Black-Langston both had five points.

 

Two evenings later, Sequim was in another tough battle against rivals from Port Angeles at Stevens Middle School.

 

“They [Stevens] have some big strong players who really bang inside,” Henrikson said. “We came out flat, and got some early fouls that put us behind early.”

 

Sequim was down by 10 points in the second period, but a jump shot by Nick Faunce sparked the team. Down seven points heading into the fourth quarter, Sequim battled back through defensive pressure and hustle to tie the game, led by Ian Dennis.

 

The teams traded leads but wound up tied at 44 apiece at the end of regulation. Stevens pulled away in overtime for a 55-51 victory.

 

“I am so proud of our team to have battled back like we did being down so much early on in the game,” Henrikson said. “We showed tremendous heart, perseverance and toughness battling back like we did.”

 

Cruz led the team with 19 points, while Black-Langston added 10 points and Oliver chipped in with eight points.