TACOMA — In three games this year, the Port Angeles and Sequim boys basketball teams have battled deep into the fourth quarter, with the final outcome of the game very much in doubt.

And in three straight games, Sequim has taken over down the stretch to hold off the Roughriders.

The third time around, a trip to the state tournament was at stake and it will be Sequim moving on to the next round, thanks to a 56-46 win over the Riders on Saturday evening at Foss High School.

Port Angeles hung in with Sequim and was down just one possession at 47-44 with 2:30 left to play. The Wolves finished the game on a 9-2 run over the final 150 seconds to pull the game out.

“They were definitely coming at us with everything they had,” said Sequim coach Craig Brooks. “It’s never easy to beat a team three times, especially a good team like Port Angeles. They came into the game playing really well.”

”Down one possesion with three minutes to play, that’s where we wanted to be,” said Port Angeles coach Kasey Ulin.

Ulin said the Riders were embracing the idea of being the surprise team of the state tournament with a losing overall record.

“These are a high character bunch of kids. Gritty and never quit. They have nothing to hang their heads about,” Ulin said.

It will be Sequim’s first trip to state since 2012, when the Wolves finished sixth. The Wolves are a No. 9 seed and will play No. 16 Lindbergh at 6 p.m. Friday at the University of Puget Sound campus in Tacoma.

“We’re excited. [State] was our goal all year. It’s really good to meet that goal,” Brooks said.

The Wolves (18-4) got a huge game from Jericho Julmist, who scored 30. The Riders didn’t seem to have an answer for Julmist until the fourth quarter, when they held him to just two points as they mounted a furious comeback attempt. Solomon Sheppard responded in that fourth quarter with seven of his 14 points to help fend off Port Angeles. Two of those points came on a spectacular shot in the final two minutes in which he was nearly lying on his back after drawing a foul.

The game started off fast and furious with the two teams combining for six 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game. Julmist scored 13 in that first quarter and Sheppard had seven as the Wolves took a 22-15 lead into the seconds.

The game settled down after that into a defensive struggle. Julmist got up to 19 points at the half as the Wolves went into the break up 33-24.

Port Angeles began pounding the ball inside to 6-foot-9 Brock Hope in the second half and he responded with six points in the third quarter, including an offensive rebound and putback to make the score 38-36 late in the third quarter.

Julmist responded with seven straight points to open Sequim’s lead up to 45-36. The Riders roared back again as they had all game, chipping away at the lead and outscoring the Wolves 8-2 to get within three points at the 3:30 mark of the fourth quarter.

From that point on, however, the Sequim defense clamped down, allowing the Riders just two points over the final 3:30 of the game.

Gus Halberg led the Riders with 16 points, while Blake Sohlberg had eight, Hope seven and Keatyn Hoch six. Mason Rapelje scored eight points for the Wolves.

Port Angeles’ season is done with an 11-14 record, but the Riders had two postseason wins, 60-47 over Fife and 59-57 over Clover Park on a buzzer-beater by Hunter Flores. The Wolves won two out of three at district, beating Foss 76-50.

The Olympic League dominated the District 3 tournament with league champion Bremerton winning the district championship, 66-34 over Franklin Pierce. Bainbridge will join Bremerton and Sequim at state as the Spartans beat Foss 61-48.

Sequim 56, Port Angeles 46

PA 15 9 14 8 — 46

Seq. 22 11 12 11 — 56

Port Angeles (46) — Halberg 16, Sohlberg 8, Hope 7, Hoch 6, Angevine 5, Miller 2, Pierce 2.

Sequim (56) — Julmist 30, Sheppard 14, Rapelje 8, Melnick 3, Schmadeke 2.

Port Angeles 59, Clover Park 57 (Friday)

LAKEWOOD — The Port Angeles boys basketball team lost some games this year at the buzzer.

On Friday night, the Roughriders decided it was time to win a game at the buzzer, staying alive in the District 3 tournament.

Cruising in the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter at 51-35, the Roughriders nearly suffered another heartbreaking loss. Clover Park roared back on the Roughriders on a 22-6 run to make it interesting at the end, tying the game at 57-57 with under a minute left to play.

The Riders scored at the buzzer as Keatyn Hoch missed on a potential game-winning shot, but Hunter Flores was right there in perfect position to get the rebound and the putback bucket to win 59-57 with 0:00 on the clock.

Coach Kasey Ulin called it “poetic justice: for a team that had lost so many heartbreakers this season.

“What a great moment for Hunter,” Ulin said. “I’m so excited for our team. They had so many chances this year they could have folded, but they’re back at practice the next day with a great attitude and awesome work ethic. I don’t know if I’ve ever been prouder of a team.”

The Riders actually got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-0 to start the game. Port Angeles roared back with a dominating second quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 19-5 to take a 29-20 lead into the break.

Halberg, who finished with 26 points, had nine points in that second quarter. Hope scored seven points in the third quarter as the Riders held a double-digit lead the entire quarter. Flores ended the quarter with a 3-pointer.

Port Angeles scored six straight points to open up the fourth quarter and seemed in good shape with six minutes to play with a 16-point lead. But the Timberwolves started hitting clutch shot after clutch shot.

Alex Angevine made what seemed like a game-sealing play with a steal and a layup to make it 57-51 with 1:51 left, but the referees called a technical foul on Angevine, which Clover Park converted into four quick points on two free throws and a basket. Clover Park scored another quick bucket to set up Flores’ play at the buzzer.

Hope finished with nine points, while Hoch had eight and Angevine and Flores five each.

Port Angeles 59, Clover Park 57

PA 10 19 16 14 — 59

CP 15 5 15 22 — 57

Port Angeles (59) — Halberg 26, Hope 9, Hoch 8, Angevine 5, Flores 5, Miller 4, Sohlberg 2.