Boys basketball: Wolves upend Renton, stay alive at districts

Oliver scores 20, Barry 18 and Willis 17 in key consolation quarterfinal victory

These Wolves aren’t done, not just yet.

Jackson Oliver scored 20 points, Alex Barry had 18 and Vance Willis added 17 as Sequim knocked off Renton Tuesday night (Feb. 17) to earn at least one more game at the West Central District tournament.

Sequim (16-7) plays a familiar foe — the Olympic Trojans — at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Curtis High School in Tacoma. A win there sends the Wolves into the consolation finals and an automatic berth in the regional tourney.

Against Renton, Sequim came out hot by scoring the first seven points and grabbing a 21-8 lead with just five minutes elapsed. Leading the way was Willis, who scored 14 of his 17 points in the first quarter.

Renton trimmed the lead back to five after one quarter (25-20) and just two at intermission (32-30), but then Barry began to take over, hitting for 11 of his 18 points in the second half.

Sequim jumped to a 59-46 lead on a Willis 3-pointer — his only basket of the second half — and Renton was forced to foul to try to stay in the game.

Barry finished with 14 rebounds to become the school’s all-time rebound leader with 621, passing former teammate Gabe Carter (609).

Alex Rutherford had six points, Dustin Bates had five and Payton Glasser added four.

Oliver was 8-for-12 shooting and Willis had six assists.

 

Besting the Bulldogs

A 21-0 run in the second quarter fueled a 64-48 win against North Mason kept the Sequim Wolves alive in the district tournament Saturday night.

Sequim fell behind 13-12 early in the second quarter but held the Bulldogs scoreless for all but 10 seconds of the first half, taking a 35-16 lead into halftime.

Barry finished with team highs in points (19), rebounds (16), blocks (three) and steals (five) while Oliver poured in 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Willis and Rutherford had eight points apiece and Bates had four steals.

North Mason senior Daniel Burggraaf led the Bulldogs with 16 points, but the defeat eliminated his team from the postseason.


Falling in the opener

A second half rally that saw Sequim go up by two points late faded as Lindbergh hit key free throws down the stretch, giving the host Eagles at 58-49 victory in the opening game of the West Central District tournament on Feb. 12.

Lindbergh dominated early after jumping to a 14-7 lead after one quarter and 31-18 halftime advantage. Led by Barry and Willis, however, the Wolves chipped away at Lindbergh’s lead and trailed by just six (41-35) entering the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, Willis had a three-point play to push Sequim ahead, 49-47. Lindbergh tied the game, then took the lead for good with 1:36 on the clock when Anthony Hill had a second chance basket to give Lindbergh a 51-49 lead.

Lindbergh took advantage of sloppy Sequim play (the Wolves had 14 turnovers to the Eagles’ seven) and were 11-of-14 from the free throw line. Sequim was just 7-of-17 from the line. Sequim shot just 19-of-54 (35 percent) from the field.

Willis led Sequim with 16 points, sinking a pair of 3-pointers out of three tries. Barry added 14 points, 17 rebounds, five steals and two blocks.