PORT ANGELES — Three-quarters of the way through the season, the Port Angeles girls basketball team continues to struggle with one of the game’s central tenets.
The Roughriders have problems putting the ball in the basket, even when given point-blank opportunities.
This issue repeated itself in Friday’s 43-34 loss to Olympic.
Add in some uncharacteristic issues closing out on the Trojans’ shooters in the Roughriders’ 2-3 zone defense with some untimely turnovers, and Port Angeles again came close, but again went home unhappy.
In their five Olympic League losses, the Riders (2-5, 6-9) have fallen by an average of 4.8 points.
“I was impressed with our resiliency, but we’re tired of not scoring and we’ve let them know that,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
“It becomes a pride thing. We’re tired of basics and being inconsistent.”
Early on, conditions looked promising for Port Angeles to pull an upset over second-place Olympic (6-1, 10-4).
The Riders had an early 7-2 lead less than three minutes into the game before trouble set in offensively.
A 14-5 Trojans run closed out the first quarter, with Port Angeles missing many short-range shots that could have helped build both a lead and confidence for a team with no seniors.
“It was a nightmare,” Pointdexter said. “If we hit those early shots, we have a cushion and we have confidence.”
He pointed to holes in the Riders’ zone in that opening period as another major issue.
“We gave up too many open looks, and we have not done that in our zone this season,” Poindexter said.
“In that first quarter, we didn’t get out [and cover], and that’s not on any one player, that’s on the unit.”
Port Angeles was without junior forward Emily Johnson, an anchor on the team’s left wing defensively.
Olympic switched from man defense to a 2-3 zone in the second quarter and the Riders rallied, with Maddie Boe sending an entry pass on a rope to Nizhoni Wheeler for a 20-18 lead with 1:40 before halftime.
But baskets by Olympic standout Olivia Williams, who led the Trojans with 13 points, and Danielle Monzon put Olympic up 22-20 at half.
With the Trojans back in man defense, turnovers came in bunches for Port Angeles in the third quarter, with the Riders coughing the ball up eight times.
Olympic pushed to a 13-0 run over a combined 7 minutes and 28 seconds of the second and third quarters before a free throw by Katyn Flores cut the lead to 31-21 with 2:13 left in the third period.
A basket from Wheeler at the buzzer put Port Angeles down 33-24 entering the fourth.
Wheeler was the lone standout for the Riders, leading the game in scoring with 14 points and coming away with five blocks and four steals.
Hayley Baxley opened the fourth with two baskets and Wheeler added another to pull Port Angeles within five, 35-30, with 6:51 to play.
“We were doing better offensively in that stretch,” Wheeler said. “That’s the type of effort we need and how we can play.”
A long jumper by Wheeler again put the Riders down five, 37-32, with 4:28 to play, but turnovers lead to Trojans layups and free throws, and Olympic pulled away over the final three minutes.
Wheeler was blunt about what it will take for Port Angeles to pull through and finish out a game against teams with better records.
“We just have to have more people score and make some good passes,” Wheeler said.
“We made too many mistakes tonight.”
A physical, 6-foot-1-inch presence in the post,Wheeler shows flashes of potential on both ends of the court.
She has an idea of what she needs to do to help lead her team to more success.
“To just talk and to let others know what they need to be doing if they make mistakes or are out of position,” Wheeler said.
“I need to be more vocal out there.”
Poindexter’s frustration with the pace of his team’s learning process was evident after the game.
“We’re beyond that now, its mid-January,” he said of the offensive struggles.
“That learning period is done. We need to grow up now, and yes, we [coaches] are impatient and we don’t want to wait.
“Nobody in that locker room is happy right now.”
Port Angeles visits North Mason (1-5, 5-8) on Tuesday.
Olympic 43, Port Angeles 34
Olympic 16 6 11 10— 43
Port Angeles 12 8 4 10— 34
Individual scoring
Olympic (43)
Williams 13, Mitchell 11, Campana 10, McInnis 3, Monzon 2, Elmore 2, Quitevis 2.
Port Angeles (34)
Wheeler 14, Baxley 6, Flores 6, Lunt 4, Steinman 2, Long 2.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.
