POULSBO — The battle of the “Norths” nearly went south for the Lady Vikings basketball team.
NK survived a second half comeback by the North Mason Bulldogs to win in overtime, 50-46, behind strong performances by the team’s inside post players Jenna Reed, Katie Swanlund and Jasmine Hill.
The three-player cadre scored 35 of North’s total points and also hit the glass hard as well, with Reed and Swanlund combining for 30 rebounds in the home opener. Reed’s 18 boards was the most North coach Dan Weedin said he’s ever seen a Viking grab in his five years as skipper.
“We played well, especially for the first game of the season, in all facets of the game,” Weedin said.
There was one notable exception that Weedin said he expects the team to improve upon: shooting percentage. The Vikings shot a lowly 21 percent from the field, a statistic that Weedin said was the primary cause as to why the Bulldogs were able to stay in the game with North.
“We did everything right except for finishing offensively,” Weedin commented. “(21 percent shooting) was why the game was as close as it was.”
The Vikings do have one difficult reality to face in the potential loss of talented starting point guard Rachael Kramer for the next few games, as the junior had to come out of the game in the third period with a shoulder injury. Weedin said he’s not yet sure of the extent of her injury but it will be evaluated on a daily basis.
Back-up point guard Katie West came into the game for Kramer and netted four assists.
North Kitsap led the Bulldogs 45-43 with six seconds remaining when North Mason’s Tanya Hudson was able to sink a 12-footer at the buzzer to force NK into an extra period. But North Kitsap took charge in overtime, outscoring the Bulldogs 5 to 1 and holding them without a field goal.
“We could have hung our heads (after regulation),” Weedin commented. “But we handled it very professionally.”
Another positive note for the Vikings in the win was the other shooting percentage: free throws. North sank 18-of-30 from the charity stripe in the win. “To start the season off 1-0 is great,” Weedin added.
“There’s only one area I’m not pleased with but after a first game, that’s pretty good.”
