TACOMA — Expect a minor traffic jam in west Tacoma tonight.
The Port Angeles boys and girls basketball teams will play Class 2A state playoff games just two hours and five miles apart in the City of Destiny this evening.
With the boys game (6 p.m.) at Mount Tahoma High School likely ending minutes before the girls tip off at Foss High School (8 p.m.), South Orchard Street figures to see a rush of Roughrider fans between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Neah Bay basketball die-hards will have a much easier go of it in Mountlake Terrace tonight.
Their girls and boys play at the same site several hours apart.
It’s the craziness of the regional state playoffs, back in Washington State high school hoops for the first time in 24 years.
It will hit Port Angeles and Neah Bay two-fold tonight.
For Port Angeles, it marks the first time it has sent both of its basketball teams on to state.
For Neah Bay, it’s just another run-of-the-mill winter: The Red Devils have now had both teams at state four of the past five seasons.
Here’s a rundown of each game:
Class 2A Girls Basketball Port Angeles vs. Lynden
■ When/Where: Foss High School in Tacoma tonight at 8 p.m.
■ How they got here: Port Angeles (21-4 overall) won the West Central District title by beating Eatonville 52-38; Lynden (21-3) was runner-up in District I after losing to Burlington-Edison 49-38
■ Rundown: Port Angeles comes into tonight’s showdown on a four-game postseason win streak.
The Roughriders are playing perhaps their best defense of the year, holding their last three opponents to 33.3 points per game on the way to their first district title since 1999.
Port Angeles has done a good job on the glass despite having just two rotation players 5-foot-10 or taller — Kiah Jones (5-10) and Taylyn Jeffers (6-0).
In Monday’s district championship, the two helped limit Eatonville to just one offensive rebound in the first half as the Riders built a 20-13 lead.
Jessica Madison scored 23 points — she leads the Riders at 22.4 points per game — and Port Angeles hit 18 of 21 free throws to secure the win.
“We’re going to have to be able to continue our good defensive pressure and control the boards [tonight],” Port Angeles coach Mike Knowles said.
“I also believe we need to be able to get out and run, make them play our style of ball.
“If our defense continues to play like it has and we have a [decent] shooting night, I think we have a chance of winning the game.”
Port Angeles goes up against the Northwest Conference champions in Lynden.
The Lions are led by 5-11 senior Hannah Shine.
The team’s leading scorer at 12.9 ppg, the starting guard has an inside-outside game that she’ll take to Central Washington University next year.
A half court team by nature, the Lions tend to throw a lot of defenses at their opponents.
■ What’s next: Winner advances to 2A Elite Eight state bracket in Yakima on March 3-5 as one of four top seeds.
Loser plays the winner of tonight’s Olympic-Tumwater game on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Mount Tahoma for final Elite Eight berth.
Boys Basketball Port Angeles vs. Black Hills
■ When/Where: Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma tonight at 6 p.m.
■ How they got here: Port Angeles (18-8) earned WCD No. 6 seed after beating Lindbergh 77-75 in double OT; Black Hills (8-15) was District IV runner-up after losing to River Ridge 48-47 in title game.
■ Rundown: Port Angeles survived an epic double-overtime thriller Monday to advance to state for the first time since 2007.
Just as they did four days ago when they faced Lindbergh sharp shooter James Keum, the Riders will go up against a supreme individual talent with their season on the line.
This time around, it’s senior Anye Turner.
When the 6-foot-6 guard has been in uniform for Black Hills, the Wolves are 8-6 and good enough to push state power River Ridge to the brink of a loss. When he’s not, they haven’t won a game (0-9).
“They are a different ball club with him,” Port Angeles coach Wes Armstrong said. “When he penetrates and gets into the painted area, he’s really tough to stop.”
Of course, Port Angeles is well-acquainted with one-man wrecking crews.
Keum put up a 2A West Central District playoff record 49 points against the Riders on Monday, but they were still able to survive thanks to a brilliant team performance.
Four different Riders scored in double figures, including big games from the forward tandem of Ian Ward (14.7 ppg) and Colin Wheeler (13.6 ppg).
The seniors had 18 and 13 points respectively, while junior Hayden McCartney buried all three of his 3-point attempts in the overtimes.
All together, that was enough to vault Port Angeles to its second double OT win of the year. The other came at archrival Sequim in January.
“As a staff we’ve been telling the kids that no other team has really faced the adversity we have,” Armstrong said. “We’ve had a lot of adversity this year, and it seems like every time we do, we’ve done a good job of overcoming it.”
■ What’s next: Winner advances to play loser of tonight’s Squalicum-Clover Park game on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Mount Tahoma for spot in 2A Elite Eight in Yakima on March 3-5.
Class 1B Girls Basketball Neah Bay vs. Columbia Adventist
■ When/Where: Mountlake Terrace High School today at 2:30 p.m.
■ How they got here: Neah Bay (22-1) claimed the 1B Tri-District championship with 45-33 win over Lopez; Columbia was District IV runner-up after losing to Tahola in title game.
■ Rundown: The Red Devils clinched their fifth straight state berth after rolling through the 1B Tri-District last week.
Sporting the North Olympic League offensive (Cherish Moss) and defensive (Rebecca Thompson) MVPs, Neah Bay cruised through the regular season.
The Red Devils have three players averaging double figures in scoring in Cherish Moss (14.0 ppg), Thompson (13.2 ppg) and Cierra Moss (10.1 ppg).
Now they face a team making its first state appearance in Columbia Adventist.
The Kodiaks were the Columbia Valley League champions and have two all-league players in junior Chianne Hendrix and sophomore Jaci Allison.
If Neah Bay can somehow get past them, it can lock up its fourth straight top eight finish in Class 1B.
■ What’s next: Winner advances to 1B Elite Eight state bracket in Spokane on March 3-5 as one of four top seeds.
Loser plays winner of tonight’s Selkirk-Mount Rainier Lutheran game Saturday at Mountlake Terrace for final Elite Eight berth.
Boys Basketball Neah Bay vs. Mount Rainier Lutheran
■ When/Where: Mountlake Terrace High School today at 7:45 p.m.
■ How they got here: Neah Bay (20-4) earned 1B Tri-District No. 3 seed with 55-53 win over Muckleshoot; Mount Rainier Lutheran (23-0) claimed 1B Tri-District crown with 52-41 win over Lummi.
■ Rundown: The Red Devils will run into a familiar face when they take on Mount Rainier Lutheran tonight.
It was the Hawks who put Neah Bay in the consolation side of the Tri-District bracket after being them 67-59 in the semifinals last week.
Neah Bay rebounded from that loss with back-to-back wins, including a dramatic two-point victory over Muckleshoot last Saturday that came down to a putback from Jimmy Jimmicum in the final minute.
Senior guard Drexler Doherty has come on in the final days of his high school career and is averaging 22.4 points per game entering the state playoffs.
Zeke Greene is Neah Bay’s second leading scorer at 10.0 ppg, one of four All-NOL Red Devils along with Doherty, Michael Dulik and Titus Pascua.
The Red Devils will have their hands full with the Hawks.
Led by two-time league MVP Andrew Wulf (20.7 ppg), Mount Rainier Lutheran has yet to lose a game this season.
During the Tri-District tournament, only the Red Devils came within single digits.
■ What’s next: Winner advances to 1B Elite Eight state bracket in Spokane on March 3-5 as one of four top seeds.
Loser plays winner of tonight’s Northport-King’s Way Christian on Saturday at Mountlake Terrace for final Elite Eight berth.