Fans and family tried to send

Sequim High’s 12th-grade girls off with gifts and hugs before tip-off on Feb. 8, the Wolves’ “senior night.”

Once the game began, however, the Wolves were much more interested in taking what they wanted: namely, a win and certain berth in the West Central District playoffs later this month.

Laine Briggs led a host of energized seniors in a 52-44 comeback win against Port Townsend Friday night, giving the Wolves at least a third seed into the district playoffs that begin Feb. 23.

Briggs scored 19 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, both team-highs, as

Sequim eliminated a six-point second-half deficit with a 24-10 run.

Port Townsend’s Sophie Wilson led all scorers with 24 points but the Sequim defense held everyone else largely in check, including P.T.’s strong post Ashley Sly, who managed just five points.

In a seesaw battle that saw Sequim run to a 14-6 lead after one quarter but trail 22-21 at halftime, the game evened out in the third quarter, when both squads gained stretches of the lead. Each time the Redskins made a move, Briggs responded with strong interior play to gain possession and either a basket or free throws. She was 7-of-7 from the foul line in the game.

But each Sequim senior seemed to have a hand in the win, from Brittany Gates’ passing and Sarah Moores’ defense on Wilson to Kelsey Langston’s key rebounding late in the contest.

And when Yolanda Chinn came off the bench with four fouls to re-energize the Wolves in the fourth quarter, Sequim surged ahead and outlasted the tough Redskins, eliminating Port Townsend from the playoff picture.

Briggs finished with eight offensive rebounds while Langston had 11 points and seven boards. Moores finished with 11 points, five rebounds and a team-high five steals. Chinn finished with two steals and eight rebounds.

The Wolves out-rebounded Port Townsend 43-24.

The win helped Sequim shrug off a tough, two-point loss to North Mason earlier in the week.

Moores scored 15 points and Briggs added 12 but Sequim fell to the Bulldogs on Feb. 5, 54-52.

Sequim needed to top North Mason Feb. 12 to have a chance at a tie for the Olympic League’s No. 2 district seed — results of that game were unavailable at press time.

Sequim finishes the regular season at Bremerton Feb. 15.

If Sequim can earn the league’s No. 2 seed, they will host a loser-out, winner advances contest Feb. 23 against the Nisqually League’s No. 3 team, likely Steilacoom. If Sequim is the No. 3 seed, they travel to meet the Nisqually No. 2 team, a likely showdown with Foster.

Olympic League standings (as of Feb. 11)

• 2A division

Team Lg. Over.

Kingston 11-4 12-7

North Mason 6-8 7-11

Sequim 5-9 6-12

Port Townsend 3-11 5-13

Klahowya 0-14 0-18

• 3A division

Team Lg. Over.

Olympic 12-3 13-5

Port Angeles 11-3 14-4

Peninsula 10-4 11-6

Bremerton 6-8 7-11