One of the biggest games of the season between Bainbridge and Sequim’s boys basketball squads didn’t fail the eye test as the Spartans beat the Wolves at home 57-51, leaving both teams tied for second in the Olympic League, one game back of Bremerton.
The Spartans (13-3, 8-2) entered the game on a 10-game win streak that began with a 63-61 win over Bremerton Dec. 17. During the win streak, Bainbridge has only let up 60 points twice, playing tighter defense as a whole and controlling the ball more.
Bainbridge coach Will Ferris noted the challenge of playing an opponent like Sequim.
“They’re a really well-coached team,” Ferris said. “They play super hard and aggressive.”
The Spartans got the hot hand early with an immediate score from senior Luke Johnson. Bainbridge’s defense also controlled the tempo early, limiting the Wolves to zero points within the first three minutes of the first quarter.
Bainbridge continued to assert strong and dominant defense on the Wolves early on, forcing turnovers and attempting to set a precedent early on in the game.
Johnson and freshman Ryan Rohrbacher accounted for a majority of the scoring in the first for the Spartans, tallying 11 points in total. The Spartans led 18-10 heading into the second quarter. The dynamic changed in favor of the Wolves as Sequim managed to tie the game at 18 apiece with its own offense beginning to flow.
The drought continued in the second quarter despite the Spartans getting a pair of buckets. The only two Bainbridge scorers were Rohrbacher and senior Charlie Hill. Meanwhile, Sequim managed to put together 13 points from multiple contested mid-range shots and layups.
Sequim led at halftime 23-22.
“For this game, there was a lot of practice time and studying the other team,” Rohrbacher said. “I just feel like we put in so much more work than the other teams.”
The Wolves came out of halftime aggressively, scoring two consecutive buckets on the Spartans. However, shot choices and inability to maintain control of the ball allowed the Spartans to narrow a five-point deficit to one with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Senior Luca Sheltens led the way for the Spartans in the third, adding to his 10 points scored.
The final quarter opened with a three-pointer from the Spartans, which tied the game at 38.
Ferris called a timeout down by two with 4:13 remaining in the fourth to attempt to slow things down for his team and get the momentum back that they had in the first quarter.
Consecutive fouls were called on Sequim, with Bainbridge able to take the lead off a Kaden Thielman jumper, 47-46. The Spartans continued to find ways to score when Johnson made a three-pointer, giving Bainbridge a two-possession lead.
The Wolves began a full-court press, but it proved to be too little too late.
“I think these kids, it’s like a life lesson forever,” Ferris said. “You gotta put some time in the dark and then when the bright lights come on, you gotta execute.”