Opportunistic, efficient Port Angeles thumps BHS 72-41.

It took a few halftime adjustments, but the Port Angeles Roughriders inevitably imposed their will on Bremerton, outscoring the Lady Knights 40-23 over the final 16 minutes to secure a 72-41 victory Tuesday.

Each time the Lady Knights turned the ball over, first-place Port Angeles (10-3 overall, 9-0 league) capitalized.

And each time the Lady Knights left a player open, Port Angeles hit the shot.

“They made their adjustments and started knocking down shots,” BHS coach Daniel McInnis said. “I think in the beginning … we were playing with a little more intensity, a little fire and getting after it.”

That intensity fizzled after the Lady Knights opened the third quarter with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 30-23. The score first ballooned to 40-27 thanks to a 10-2 Roughrider run, then 51-29 after a separate 11-2 run.

“I think our team got sluggish in the second half,” said BHS freshman Jalen Carpenter, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. “We just let them make a lot of shots. They are a good team.”

Bremerton looked confused on offense when Carpenter, who converted more field goals (six) than the rest of the team combined (four), was on the bench.

“Somebody else has to step up,” McInnis said. “We just gotta knock down some of those shots.”

Moreover, McInnis said, the guards must protect the ball when passing it to Carpenter in the post.

“They want to get it to her all the time and they want to force it,” he said. “We were trying to force it in to her … that’s when we got the turnovers.”

Roughrider Jessica Madison led all scorers with 22, while Skylar Jones (13) and Shelby Napiontek (12) added double figures.

Despite the outcome Tuesday, both McInnis and the players said the team is headed in the right direction. And with just two seniors on the roster — Sarah Streutker and Kelsey Johnson — a core group of players will return next season.

“I think they are where we need to be,” McInnis said. “We’ve got to turn that corner now.”

“We’re aiming for improvement with the team,” Carpenter added. “I don’t care if we win or lose, I care if we improve.”

The Lady Knights used a 1-3-1 zone during portions of Tuesday’s game, a look McInnis said he recently introduced to bolster the defense. Additionally, McInnis said he wants the team to play with more intensity on both ends of the floor, a mentality he continues to encourage, and more patience on offense.

“We’re learning to be more patient,” he said.

The Lady Knights (2-11, 2-7) host Sequim at 7 p.m., then visit North Kitsap Jan. 27.

Boys basketball

The Bremerton boys basketball team extended its winning steak to four games with a 72-59 victory against Port Angeles Tuesday. Four Knights scored in double figures — Josh Koets (11), Jarrell Flora (14), Terrance McGhee (10) and Andre Coleman (12) — to help Bremerton turn a two-point halftime lead into 17-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Bremerton outscored Port Angeles 26-11 in the third quarter.

The win moved the Knights (7-6 overall, 6-3 league) into fourth place in the Olympic League behind Port Townsend, North Kitsap and North Mason. The Knights travel to Sequim tonight and host North Kitsap at 7 p.m. Jan. 27.