SEQUIM — Port Angeles’ twin comebacks edged Sequim’s attempt at a final minute rally as the Roughriders wrested back control of the Rainshadow Rumble rivalry with a 66-64 win over the Wolves at Rick Kaps Gymnasium on Thursday.
Tied at 46-all heading to the fourth quarter Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter took a moment to point something out to his team.
“This was a fun game,” Poindexter said. “That’s the bottom line. I told the team at one point between the third and fourth quarter ‘I care whether we win or lose but this is a fun game.’”
The Roughriders took the lead for good with 5:45 left on a Lexie Smith 3-point shot from the left corner to go up 52-51. Teanna Clark knocked down another 3 for a 55-51 lead.
Another Clark 3 and two made free throws by Paige Mason put the Riders up 64-56 with 1:17 to play.
But Sequim wouldn’t fold. Reigning Olympic League MVP Jolene Vaara scored on a layup and Bobbie Mixon drained her second huge 3 of the fourth quarter to pull within 64-61 with 31 seconds to play.
Izzy Felton hit two free throws with 21.2 seconds left for a 66-61 advantage, but Port Angeles fouled Libby Turella while shooting a 3 and Turella drained all three freebies with 13.7 seconds to play.
Sequim again stayed alive for a shot at the win, but Dani Herman’s half-court heave fell short at the buzzer.
Sequim’s Gracie Chartraw came out hot with three first-quarter 3-pointers and the Wolves led 20-12 after one quarter — necessitating a defensive change to a triangle and two zone for Port Angeles.
“We went triangle-and-two to take Gracie out of her rhythm and we match up a little bit in that triangle,” Poindexter said. “I’m glad you thought it was man [defense] because those kids aren’t just guarding areas but people too.”
Chartraw would be held to just one more 3 for the remainder of the game, but the Riders still had to matchup with Vaara, Mixon and Turella.
Plagued with foul trouble for much of the night, Vaara scored 19 points on 7 of 16 shooting with six rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists.
“We had intense defense,” Poindexter said. “Izzy [Felton] and Teanna are two of the best guard defenders in the league. She had to work for her points, credit to her. Those were tough ones.”
With Vaara saddled with four fouls and Mixon three, Sequim made a switch from man defense to a 2-3 zone.
“When they went zone int he second half, I don’t know what the motivation was,” Poindexter said. “My take it was to keep Jolene protected a little bit with her fouls, a smart move.”
But Port Angeles’ outside shot picked up after the break.
“We were 2 for 7 on 3s in the fist half and 7 for 12 in the second half,” Poindexter said. “We moved the ball well, we were patient and got nice kick outs for 3s. We were open a lot, we had our feet set and we took what we call inside-outside 3s, where the ball comes from the inside to the perimeter. Shooting 47-percent from 3 is incredible for us, we can’t count on that every night, but its more how we shoot in practice.”
Sequm led as much as 41-33 in the third quarter before Clark and reserve Kensie Moses heated up.
Clark scored nine of her game-high 23 points in the third and Moses knocked down two triples to account for 15 of Port Angeles’ 17 third-quarter points.
“I thought we were tentative early in the third quarter and Teanna was active in attacking inside and out,” Poindexter said.
“Those were huge 3s by Kenzie, she’s improved as a shooter and really takes a lot of pride in her shot. And she had never played the top of the triangle before defensively, but she winged it and did well.”
Sequim coach Joclin Julmist credited Port Angeles’ second-half shotmaking.
“The girls played hard and did a lot of good things tonight, but PA made big shot after big shot to run away with it,” Julmist said. “They shot the ball very well in the second half.”
Lexie Smith scored seven of her 13 points in the final quarter and also led the Riders in rebounds with 14 and steals with three along with four assists.
Paige Mason added 10 rebounds and led the team with five assists.
“Lexie was a big part of that in the middle of the zone, Paige as well,” Poindexter said. Lexie had four assists and Paige had five, an indication we were getting the ball to
Turella was solid for Sequim with 17 points, including 7 of 11 from the free-throw line, 12 rebounds, four steals and three assists.
“Libby was good for us again,” Julmist said. “She made her free throws and played great defense.”
Third-place Sequim (5-2, 7-3) hosts first-place Bainbridge (6-1, 8-3) on Tuesday.
Second-place Port Angeles (6-1, 8-6) visits last-place Bremerton (1-6, 2-8) on Tuesday.
Port Angeles 66, Sequim 64
Port Angeles 12 17 17 20— 66
Sequim 20 11 15 18— 64
Port Angeles (66) — Clark 23, Felton 13, Le. Smith 13, Li. Smith 9, K. Moses 6, Mason 2, Politika, Manson.
Sequim (64) — Vaara 19, Turella 17, Mixon 13, Chartraw 12, Herman 3.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group Port Angeles’ Teanna Clark shoots while defended by Sequim’s Jolene Vaara as Dani Herman looks on during the Riders’ 66-64 Rainshadow Rumble rivalry win Thursday.
