SEQUIM — The Sequim boys basketball team is starting to get a target on its back.
With all the weapons the Wolves (7-2 in league, 11-3 overall) have this season, that hasn’t been too much of a problem so far.
Sequim took Port Townsend’s best shot and still came out on top in a 62-55 Olympic League victory at Rick Kaps Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The Wolves had three scorers in double figures, led by Jason Brocklesby’s 15 points and four steals, to overcome a 20-point night from Redskin Kyle Kelly.
“I just told the guys in the locker room that teams are going to come out, and you have to expect them to play their best game,” said Sequim coach Greg Glasser, whose team sits in second place in league heading into Thursday night’s home showdown with Port Angeles (6-2, 8-4).
“I think we’ve seen that from Kingston. We saw that tonight I think from Port Townsend. I think that’s one of their best efforts of the season.
“We have to expect teams to play their best game against us. So we have to be ready to do the same.”
That appeared to be the case Tuesday night.
With leading scorer Corbin Webb not having his regular double-digit scoring night (six points, two assists), the Wolves spread the ball around against the Redskins.
A total of six players scored six or more points, while Gabe Carter notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Nick Camporini added 10 points.
Sequim assisted on 15 of its 21 field goals, several coming on back door layins, and turned the ball over just 10 times.
That included a six-assist night from senior guard Kenneth Meier, who also scored eight points.
Thrown together, it was just enough to trump a breakout performance from Kelly, who also had five revounds and three assists to go along with his 20 points.
“If you look at the stats, every night it’s a different guy or every night it’s everybody together,” Carter said. “Some of us didn’t do too well tonight, but others stepped up.
“That’s just how it works with our team.”
The Wolves broke open a tight game — the lead changed hands nine times during the first 20 minutes — with a 13-0 run to close out the third quarter.
Carter sparked the surge with back-to-back baskets after Port Townsend took a 39-36 lead on a Jacob DeBerry baseline jumper.
The 6-foot-3 Sequim sophomore sank a swooping left-handed finger roll in the lane, then swished a spot up 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Wolves a 41-39 edge.
Sequim then closed out the frame with three fastbreak baskets — two coming off Meier steals and one off a Brocklesby block — and a pair of free throws to go into the final quarter up 49-39.
Port Townsend didn’t get closer than six the rest of the way.
“I just think we turned up the defense, got some easy buckets off steals, and that put us ahead a little bit,” Carter said.
Added Glasser, “Defense was the difference. We made a couple of steals, turned them over a little bit and then we capitalized on those turnovers.”
Port Townsend (1-8, 2-10) came out of the gates on fire, as Kelly knocked down three of his game-high five 3-pointers during the first two quarters.
The Redskins sank 10-of-17 shots from the field during that time, but could never quite pull away from the Wolves due in part to eight first-half turnovers.
After Sequim switched exclusively to man-to-man to begin the third quarter, the Redskins went cold.
Port Townsend hit just 4-of-15 shots during the third quarter, and 9 of 24 the entire second half.
“I’m proud of these guys,” said Port Townsend coach Tom Webster, whose Redskins face archrival Chimacum on the road tonight. “We came over here and played hard.”
“We let them hang around. We certainly had our chances . . . but I’ve got to stay positive with my guys.
“We play extremely hard all of the time, so I’m proud of them.”
Kelly sank 5-of-7 shots from long range on the night.
Unfortunately for the Redskins, the rest of the team was just 2 of 9 from beyond the 3-point line.
DeBerry added 12 points for Port Townsend, while Matt Juran scored eight points and brought down six rebounds and Habtamu Rubio dished out five assists.
Sequim 62, Port Townsend 55
Port Townsend 13 16 10 16 — 55
Sequim 14 15 20 13 — 62
Port Townsend (55)
Thielk 5, Kelly 20, Solvik 7, Ristick 3, Juran 8, DeBerry 10.
Sequim (62)
Hill 4, Meier 8, Carter 13, Webb 6, Brocklesby 15, Guan 6, Camporini 10.