PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles girls basketball team got off to an 0-2 start against 3A and 4A teams but has now won four straight after a 53-26 win over 3A Bainbridge, thanks to the Roughriders’ usual stifling defense, which held the Spartans to 18 percent shooting.
The Roughriders improved to 3-0 in Olympic 2A League play.
It was Port Angeles’ final home game of 2021. The Riders won’t be returning to play in their home gym until Jan. 6.
Eve Burke led the Riders with 24 points, with almost all of her points coming on layups and a variety of good inside moves thanks to great passes from her teammates. Burke went on a pair of big scoring runs to twice blow the game open.
Coach Michael Poindexter said he was very happy with the win, though the Riders didn’t shoot well, especially early in the game. They ended up shooting 31 percent from the floor.
“We missed a ton of shots,” Poindexter said. He said the girls played a bit anxious, but he praised their play, especially the team’s passing. He said Bainbridge runs an unusual 1-2-2 zone. “[But] I was really pleased tonight.”
“We just don’t see 1-2-2 zones,” he said. He said the Riders ran their offense well against the zone and got good looks at the basket. The shots started falling, especially in the second and third quarters.
While Burke had 24 points, Poindexter said Bailee Larson deserves much of the credit for her scoring. Larson finished the game with eight assists to go with seven rebounds and five steals.
“Bailee is the best passer in the league. She’s special,” Poindexter said.
“Bailee’s just a really good passer. She’s really talented,” Burke agreed.
Port Angeles’ Anna Petty, center, pulls down a rebound surrounded by Bainbridge’s Macy Kingrey, left, and Grace Colburn, right, on Thursday at Port Angeles High School. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
In fact, Port Angeles had a ton of steals and caused 28 Bainbridge turnovers. Burke and Anna Petty each had four. Petty had a solid all-around game with seven points, four assists and tenacious defense all game. Piper Williams had seven points and Angie Sprague had six rebounds.
Burke tied her season high with her 24 points. Because of the Rider’ rough start to their shooting, Bainbridge managed to hang around in the game in the first half. With the Riders holding a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, Burke scored 10 out of the next 12 points, including two on a pretty reverse layup, to open the lead up to 26-11.
Bainbridge hit a three-pointer right at the end of the half to make it 26-14 to give the Spartans a bit of momentum. That was the closest Bainbridge would get for the rest of the game as Burke began the third quarter with eight straight points, including buckets on a couple of old-fashioned hook shots, to blow the game open once and for all at 34-16. Burke managed to score 18 of her 24 points in less than eight minutes in the second and third quarters.
Port Angeles (3-0, 4-2) next plays Meadowdale (2-2) at the King’s Christmas Tournament in Shoreline on Dec. 28.
Port Angeles 53, Bainbridge 26
BB 2 12 5 7 — 26
PA12 14 14 13 — 53
Bainbridge (26) — Grace Colburn 11, Macy Kingrey 4, Addy Ledbetter 3, Ghadir Ramadan 3, Ana Byers 2, Maia Greiwe 2, Caroline Payne 1
Port Angeles (53) — Eve Burke 24, Piper Williams 7, Anna Petty 7, Bailee Larson 4, Jenna McGoff 3, Angelina Sprague 3, Paige Mason 2, Lexie Smith 2, Jayde Gedelman 1, Isabelle Felton.
Port Angeles’ Bailee Larson, right, takes an easy layup as Bainbridge’s Isabella Ramirez defends the lane on Thursday at Port Angeles High School. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Angeles’ Isabelle Felton, front, spins towards the lane as Bainbridge’s Caroline Payne on Thursday night in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Angeles’ Piper Williams, right, fights for a rebound with Bainbridge’s Grace Colburn, left, and Macy Kingrey on Thursday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
