PORT TOWNSEND — The Class 2A Squalicum Storm girls breezed past 1A Port Townsend 51-28 on the strength of a 15-0 scoring burst to close the first half and open the third quarter.
Squalicum of Bellingham led the Redskins 13-9 after the first stanza and 17-11 before Port Townsend’s Jayde Richardson evened the score at 17-all with 1:43 to play in the second.
That’s when Port Townsend lost its way, allowing the Storm a 5-0 spurt to close the half and a 10-0 run over the first 4:30 of the third quarter that give Squalicum a 32-17 lead.
The deficit remained the same entering the fourth with the Storm taking a 37-22 lead into the last period.
Port Townsend’s senior point guard Jewel Johnson also suffered an apparent neck injury when she was fouled hard late in the third period.
She didn’t return to Friday’s contest but was expected to play against Chimacum late Saturday evening.
Johnson led the Redskins with nine points. Rilke Rutenbeck added seven and Richardson had six for Port Townsend.
The Storm took their largest lead at 49-23 with 3:15 left in the game.
Squalicum’s Meghan Lowry led all scorers with 17 points. Teammates Sam Starr had 11 and Sarah Hulbert added 10.
Squalicum 51, Port Townsend 28
Squalicum 13 9 15 14— 51
Port Townsend 9 8 5 6— 28
Individual scoring
Squalicum (4-3)
Lowry 17, Starr 11, Hulbert 10, Pino 4, Arndorfer 3, Meza 3, Hooper 2, Molnar 1.
Port Townsend (3-5)
Johnson 9, Rutenbeck 7, Richardson 6, Olin 3, Lee 2, Reeves 1.