Sequim had the big lead, the majority of the crowd and the home court advantage after one quarter.

The Roughriders had the final 24 minutes, however.

Cheyenne Wheeler led a balanced Rider attack with nine points as Port Angeles earned a season sweep of Sequim’s Wolves with a 43-28 win in Sequim.

“We knew we had to attack the zone and really rebound defensively,” Sequim coach Justine Wagner said. “We played awesome defense for three quarters (but) PA is tough to beat. We were worn down.”

Sequim jumped out to a 10-2 lead after one quarter, getting five baskets from five different players.

But the Riders outscored Sequim 14-4 in the second to knot the game at halftime and took the lead for good on a Lauren Hunt 3-pointer less than a minute into the third quarter.

Port Angeles out-scored Sequim 17-7 in the decisive third frame.

“PA is always going to fight hard — it’s something I’ve always admired about their school sports,” Sequim senior guard McKenzie Bentz said.

“The second half is usually our game,” she said. “It was totally different tonight. PA showed they were here to fight.”

Jordan Miller paced Sequim with eight points while Bentz had five and Adrienne Haggerty added four. Haggerty and Jordan McMinn had five rebounds apiece.

Port Angeles post Nizhoni Wheeler had seven points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in the win.

The Roughriders forced 22 Wolf turnovers, 13 coming off of steals.

“It was better than last time,” Sequim’s Wagner said, referencing a 36-19 loss in Port Angeles on Jan. 6. “If there’s one thing I’d like to change is to limit our turnovers.”

Sequim had two more home games heading into this week, but it was the final matchup with rival Port Angeles for Bentz and fellow seniors Miller and Montelius.

“It was a little emotional (but) I felt really good about it,” Bentz said, reeling off names of players on the Port Angeles roster she’s grown up playing with and against over the years.

“That (familiarity) is part of the best part of playing against them,” Bentz said. “It seemed like it went by so fast.”

Wagner said she hopes to see her squad get in the gym more. While Sequim has a few “gym rats,” she said, many of SHS’s basketball players have spread out their athletic interests beyond the hardwood. While no stranger to that herself (Wagner was a three-sport star at Sequim High), the Sequim coach said there’s usually room in one’s schedule to get court time even if it’s not basketball season.

“That’s one of the differences between our team and PA,” Wagner said.

Knocking off No. Mason

Despite struggles against league foes in 2015-2016, Sequim found a way to best their counterparts from North Mason High twice this season.

On Jan. 26, the Wolves built a double-digit lead and saw it withstand a second half Bulldog comeback in a 53-45 home victory. Haggerty hit seven-of-eight from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help seal the win; she led the Wolves with 17 points.

Bentz added 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.

Falling to Bainbridge

In their second-to-last game of the season, Sequim’s girls basketball squad dropped a 56-40 decision to Bainbridge on Monday night (Feb. 1).

McMinn scored all 11 of her points in the fourth quarter to lead the Wolves.

Miller added nine points and Haggerty had six in defeat.Bainbridge senior Katherine Usellis led the Spartans with 23 points.

Sequim was slated to finish their season with a home matchup with North Kitsap on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Olympic League standings

(as of Feb. 1)

Team Lg. Over.

Olympic 9-2 13-5

Port Angeles     8-2 15-3

North Kitsap     7-3 10-7

Kingston 6-4 11-7

Bremerton 4-6 7-10

Sequim 2-9 6-12

North Mason    0-10 5-13