Olympic League standings (final)
North Kitsap 10-2 16-4
Olympic 9-3 15-5
Port Angeles 8-4 11-8
Sequim 5-7 8-12
Bremerton 5-7 9-10
Kingston 5-7 9-11
North Mason 0-12 3-16
Eight minutes of inspired basketball lifted Sequim from a heartbreaking season’s end to the West Central District tournament.
The Wolves (5-7 in Olympic League play, 8-12 overall) got 13 points from senior Adrienne Haggerty in Sequim’s 24-19 Olympic League playoff tiebreaker win against Bremerton on Feb. 4.
Sequim moves on to play Lindbergh in the first round of the district tourney, set for a 7:45 p.m. tip-off on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Wilson High School in Tacoma.
The winner moves on to play White River in the district quarterfinals on Feb. 11; the losing squad play the loser of the Feb. 11 North Kitsap vs. Fife/River Ridge game on Feb. 15.
On Feb. 2, the regular season’s last day, the Wolves got some help from a familiar rival. Sitting at 5-7 in league play, Sequim faced the possibility of either a two- or three-way tie for the league’s final playoff spot — or elimination, if Kingston could pull off an upset at Port Angeles that night. The Roughriders prevailed 33-27, however, setting up a three-way tiebreaker in Port Townsend on Saturday.
Sequim drew a bye thanks to a season sweep of Kingston. In Saturday’s opener, held to just two quarters of play, Bremerton eliminated Kingston.
In the tiebreaker’s second half, the Knights also looked to have the advantage of the Wolves early on, with a 13-5 first quarter lead.
“(We) picked up the pressure,” Sequim coach Larry Brown said, and out-scored the Knights 19-6 in the final quarter.
Ella Christiansen had five points while Bobbi Sparks and Madison Green added three each for the Wolves.
Yaesiri Gonzales led Bremerton with six points.
Postseason momentum
Despite a loss to non-league foe Coupeville to start the week, Sequim came into their tiebreaker on a roll.
On Jan. 30, the host Coupeville Wolves stymied Sequim’s offense in the first half and held on for a 37-31 victory. Mia Littlejohn led the way with 15 points. Haggerty had nine points, Christiansen seven and Green six for Sequim.
A day later, the Wolves got a crucial — albeit narrow — victory at North Mason. Sequim jumped out to a 22-17 lead by halftime and held North Mason to 11 second half points in a 33-28 victory. Haggerty (14 points) and Christiansen (nine) once again paced the SHS offense. Hailey Simonson led the Bulldog attack with 12 points.
“It’s tough to play at North Mason,” Brown said. “We just couldn’t hit any shots (but) defensively we did what we needed to do.”
Sequim capped the regular season with a 31-19, come-from-behind victory against Coupeville on Feb. 2, as Sequim celebrated its four seniors in their last home game. Trailing 12-8 after a stagnant second quarter (the teams combined for five points), Sequim reeled off a 17-4 third quarter, spearheaded by Haggerty’s dozen points.
Haggerty finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Sparks had three steals while Christiansen and Hope Glasser had eight rebounds each.
“Offensively we started to do what I wanted to do which is attack the basket and shoot when we’re open,” Brown said. “We like to work the outside to get it inside.”
Sequim held Coupeville to 19 percent shooting (8-for-43). Lindsey Roberts led Coupeville with nine points.
