ROCHESTER — A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jeffery Schumack gave Forks the momentum and a 3-point lead heading into halftime against Montesano, and the Spartans got defensive in the third quarter, running away from the Bulldogs in a 59-47 Southwest District IV loser-out contest.
Forks turned the game in its favor by cracking down defensively, limiting Montesano to just three third-quarter points, while getting the ball down low to 6-foot-9 post Marky Adams who scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half despite facing consistent double and triple teams.
Adams scored on a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays and also got a layup off a lob pass from Schumack to score the initial eight points of the second half.
Schumack scored 14 points and was a sparkplug for the Spartans (16-7), who won for the second time in their three-game season series with Montesano. Forks will face La Center (15-4) tonight at 6 p.m. at W.F. West High School in Chehalis in a loser-out, winner-to-state regionals game.
“It was just like the other day [a loss to King’s Way Christian], the third quarter was the difference,” Spartans coach Rick Gooding said.
“Jeffrey hit a buzzer-beating 3 just before halftime which was huge for us. Parker [Browning] was on the attack all night which helped us out. “We played solid defense and did things well.”
Some of that solid defending was turned in by Cort Prose. Prose forced Bulldog breakdowns on back-to-back possessions late in the third quarter, first by standing tall and taking a charge, and then playing up on his man and forcing a 5-second call as Forks opened up a 40-29 lead after three quarters.
The Spartans’ lead grew to as much as 20 in the fourth quarter as Forks frustrated Montesano.
Browning added 16 points for Forks.
“We didn’t hit a ton of 3s to stretch out their man [defense] at all, we just attacked and played hard,” Gooding said.
“Not everything went our way, we kinda attacked a little too much at times. But man, we played hard, everybody on the court played hard, so I was really proud of that. If we can continue to play hard good things will happen.”
Another long road trip to Chehalis awaits the Spartans.
Forks will have logged at least 1,290 round-trip travel miles in one week when it returns home after tonight’s game.
“We have put some miles in since last Friday,” Gooding said. “We went to Montesano (226-miles round trip) last Friday, King’s Way Christian in Vancouver (468) on Monday, Rochester (294) today.”
Add in today’s 322-mile round trip trek to Chehalis and the Spartans will have logged a total of 1,290 miles in a week.
Forks 59, Montesano 47
Forks 10 19 11 19— 59
Montesano 7 19 3 18— 47
Forks (59) — Adams 18, Browning 16, Schumack 14, Baysinger 5, Prose 4, Ramsey 1, Tejano 1, Flores, Johnson, Jacoby, Archibald, Maxfield.
Montesano (47) — Ridgway 4, Chapman 8, Valley 8, Dierkop 3, Nicklas 2, Burbidge 4, Bates, Winter 6, Quinn 10, Albert, Farmer 2, Wallace.
Cascade Chr. 62, Port Townsend 61
TACOMA — The Redhawks were edged out of a spot in the state regional round with a close loss to the Cougars in the Class 1A West Central District Tournament at Bellermine Prep.
“It was about as close as you could get,” coach Tom Webster said of the back-and-forth affair.
“They hit a 3 to take the lead with about 27 seconds left. And the fouls were 9-2 in Cascade’s favor, so we just kept inbounding the ball and getting intentionally fouled until about six seconds left.
“We were finally able to run a play but we didn’t the look we wanted at it.”
Port Townsend (15-5) has one more shot at a regional berth. The Redhawks will face Seattle Christian (12-10) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Bellermine Prep in a loser-out contest.
Cascade Christian 62, Port Townsend 61
Cascade 18 8 15 21— 62
Port Townsend 13 17 14 17— 61
Port Townsend (61) — Kelsall 16, Spencer 2, Hammett 12, Hill 22, Parcher 9.
Girls Basketball Fife 42, Sequim 38
TACOMA — The Wolves nearly pulled off a fourth-quarter rally, pulling within a basket in the final minute and getting a good look at a potential game-tying shot, before the Spartans hit free throws to close out the game and the Wolves’ season.
Sequim trailed 36-22 entering the fourth quarter of the Class 2A West Central District Tournament loser-out contest held Tuesday at Wilson High School.
“We started pressuring a little more and I think the girls started to unwind a little bit,” Wolves coach Larry Brown said.
“We took quite a few more shots in the fourth, we got really aggressive and played some tough defense. Our shots really started falling. I think our two seniors had the bulk of the points in that fourth quarter, Adrienne [Haggerty]had five, Ella [Christiansen] had six.”
Christiansen hit five 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 15 points. Haggerty added 14 points.
Brown said freshmen Hope Glasser and Jessica Dietzman played well defensively down the stretch. Glasser also scored on an old-fashioned 3-point play late in the game to help the Wolves close within a score.
Sequim led 19-12 late in the first half before enduring a long scoring drought that lasted into the third period.
The Wolves managed just three points in the third quarter.
“We had a rough stretch where we didn’t score for six game minutes,” Brown said.
Sequim finished its season, the first under Brown, with an 8-14 overall record.
“I had a great time this year with all the girls,” Brown said.
“They were a really fun team to coach, they listened in practice and did what I wanted them to do. They had a good sense of respect and love for each other which made it fun.”
The Wolves lose four seniors, starters Christiansen and Haggerty, along with Erica Bower and Carissa Leal.
“It’s a tough class to lose,” Brown said.
Brown said he enjoyed the energy and attitude Bower and Leal brought to the team.
“And Ella and Adrienne, two of the top players in the Olympic League. Adrienne averaged about 14 points and 12 rebounds and Ella was a fantastic shooter. She had five 3s last night, kept us in the game and sparked us. They also did great jobs in holding down some of the better post players we faced. They had tough games against us. The two are smart players, I don’t think I can remember a game where they combined for more than four fouls combined.”
Brown said Glasser and Dietzman, along with sophomore Bobbi Sparks will be important parts of the team next season.
Fife 42, Sequim 38
Sequim 8 11 3 16— 38
Fife 10 14 12 6— 42
Sequim (38) — Christiansen 15, Haggerty 14, Green, Dietzman 4, Glasser 3, Sparks, Armstrong, Bower 2, Shea.
Fife (42) — Willis 9, Ramil, Fietz 6, Hernandez 14, Breyland, Knutsen, Hunter, Morton 2, Sprenger, Wise 8, Yukish 3.
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
