STEILACOOM — The Vikings were pretty quiet offensively for three quarters in their district quarterfinal game against the Sentinels, but a 24-point fourth quarter explosion propelled North Kitsap to a 52-39 win.
The victory clinches North Kitsap’s place in the regional round and, because of its No. 3 RPI ranking, a virtually guaranteed spot in the 2A state tournament at the Yakima SunDome.
“These guys just never cease to amaze me, to be honest,” said head coach Scott Orness.
Steilacoom (10-3, 18-7) led by one point with about six minutes to go when Grant Baker was fouled on a 3-point attempt. The senior guard hit all three of his free throws to give the Vikings a lead they would never relinquish.
Shaa Humphrey scored a team-high 24 points, including 10 in the second half. He went 5 for 6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and North Kitsap (11-2, 19-4) was 11 for 13 overall in the final frame.
Jamo Moore had eight rebounds, four points and four steals and also took four charges. Three of those charges were committed by Steilacoom’s top player, Jaymason Willingham, in the first half, which helped limit his effectiveness.
Logan Chmielewski chipped in seven points and eight rebounds and Kobe McMillian added nine second half points.
The Sentinels had seen McMillian go off for 40 points in North Kitsap’s opener against Lindbergh and they made him the focus of their defense, but that just opened up room for the rest of the Vikings.
“They were definitely dialed into him,” Orness said.
Orness was also impressed by his team’s patience against the Sentinels’ intricate match-up zone defense. The Vikings had not been on the court together for five days due to the snowstorm that hit the Puget Sound Region, so there was no time to prepare. But North Kitsap didn’t panic or press and eventually cracked its opponent.
“I know we’re a young team, but we played with such poise and patience against their defense,” Orness said.
North Kitsap will play the winner of Thursday’s Renton-Foss game in the semifinals at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15 at Curtis High School.
Franklin Pierce 52, Olympic 47
The Trojans went toe-to-toe with an excellent Franklin Pierce team, but fell just short in their district quarterfinal matchup. The Cardinals prevailed 52-47.
Brandon Barron led Olympic (6-6, 11-11) with 19 points and Caleb Morgan added 16, but the Cardinals (12-1, 22-2) badly outrebounded the Trojans, which turned out to be a key difference in the contest.
“Second chance points were the name of the game,” O’Connor said.
The two teams traded leads throughout the game, rarely being separated by more than a few points at a time. The Olympic defense did an excellent job of stopping a 22-win Franklin Pierce team on its first opportunities, but the Cardinals dominated the glass and were able to take advantage of second chances.
“If we rebound tonight we win,” O’Connor said. “We controlled the majority of the game in a sense. We got stops, we just didn’t get rebounds.”
The Trojans had a couple of chances to tie the game in the last minute, but could not convert. They also uncharacteristically missed a half-a-dozen layups in the second quarter, which could have also changed the trajectory of the game.
Olympic moves to the left side of the bracket, now needing two wins to get to regionals. First up with a game against Lindbergh, which takes place at 6 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Graham-Kapowsin.
Kennedy Catholic 66, South Kitsap 50
The Wolves’ season came to an end Thursday night with a loss to Kennedy Catholic in the West Central/Southwest 4A bi-district tournament.
South Kitsap (8-8, 11-12) was defeated, 66-50, in a loser out game and couldn’t keep pace with the Lancers despite a solid start.
The two teams were trading baskets and the Wolves trailed by just two after the first quarter. But Kennedy Catholic extended its lead to ten by halftime and 22 after three quarters.
— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKrulishKDN.
