Sequim’s boys took a tough loss at the hand of the North Kitsap Vikings last week, but bounced back to grab a win over the Olympic Trojans just a few days later.
The Wolves earned a 51-49 win over the Trojans on Jan. 10, one that saw the Wolves dominate the first three quarters of the game before the Trojans started clawing their way back in the final few minutes.
Malcolm De Walt was able to get inside for several crucial layups while the Wolves struggled to wind the clock down.
The Wolves were able to make some key stops in the final moments, however, including forcing the ball out of bounds twice in the last 30 seconds, then forcing the final inbound pass wide to keep Olympic from getting one last shot off.
“Sometimes we attacked really small gaps instead of maybe making that extra pass and making the defense shift,” Glasser said.
“We wanted to try and split it or make the extra dribble and that’s given us some problems.”
Erik Christiansen led SHS’s scoring on the night with 19 points while teammate Stew Duncan added a season-high 14 points and eight rebounds, a steal and a block in the senior’s top performance of the season.
Dallin Despain provided eight assists and defense that earned praise from his coaches.
“I’ve been getting more comfortable as the season has gone on,” Despain said. “I know my game and what I can do, but I’ve been getting more comfortable actually doing it. (I’ve been) getting in that flow and moving the ball around and taking my shots, but I didn’t really shoot a lot tonight.”
A tough night
The Wolves were handed a 74-54 by North Kitsap on Jan. 7. The Vikings ran out to a 15-3 lead just a few minutes into the game, and while the Wolves cut that lead to just two points eraly int eh second quarter, the end result was rarely in doubt.
By halftime the Vikings’ lead was back to nine points, and the Wolves were outscored 22-12 in the fourth quarter as the hosts put the game away.
“Our guys didn’t back down,” Glasser said. “We went into a battle and we didn’t win, but I think we came out better for it.”
Christiansen led the team in scoring with 16 points, with Riley Chen adding 11 — a total that included two first half 3-pointers when the Wolves were rallying. Isaiah Moore scored eight points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Despain fouled out early in the fourth quarter, forcing the team to scramble a bit on defense. A key part of the Wolves’ game plan at both ends of the court, Despain had contained Vikings forward Shaa Humphrey, an athletic offensive threat. Despain had frustrated him for much of the game and just one foul by the end of the third quarter. Despain, however, picked up two quick fouls in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, came out on the wrong side of a close charge call shortly after that, and before Glasser could make a substitution, the Vikings ran a play straight at Despain for his fifth and final foul.
“That’s so tough when you lose him,” Glasser said of Despain. “I thought he played a really good game. He managed the game well, he maintained possession and let us get some kind of offense going.
“And yeah, his defense was great. He’ll guard whoever, he had (Humphrey) frustrated about not being able to get his shots.”
Looking ahead
The Wolves were scheduled to face rival Port Angeles (4-1 league record, 9-4 overall) on Jan. 14, but the game was postponed because of snow, cancelling schools in both cities. The game was rescheduled for Jan. 18.
Sequim is set to head out on the road to face the Kingston Buccaneers (0-5, 1-11) on Jan. 17 before playing the Jan. 18 match-up with Port Angeles. The Wolves are at home on Jan. 22 to face the North Mason Bulldogs (1-4, 3-9) at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 sees the Wolves back on the road as they face the Bremerton Knights (5-1, 9-3), then they return home for the last time in the regular season to host the North Kitsap Vikings at 7:15 p.m.
Olympic League standings
(as of Jan. 13)
Team Lg. Ovr.
Bremerton 5-1 9-3
Port Angeles 4-1 9-4
North Kitsap 4-1 11-2
Sequim 3-2 8-5
North Mason 1-4 3-9
Olympic 1-4 2-10
Sequim Wolves point guard Dallin Despain (0) looks to set up a play against the Olympic Trojans on Jan. 10. Despain didn’t score on the night, but played sterling defense and handed out eight assists to help lead the Wolves to a 51-49 win. Sequim Gazette photo by Conor Dowley
