The Bainbridge Spartans girls basketball team continued its winning ways against the Port Angeles Roughriders Jan. 21 with a 52-28 victory to stay in first place in the Olympic League at 9-0.
The Spartans, 12-4 overall, had won three in a row entering the game.
“There’s been kind of a rivalry going on the past couple years against them [Port Angeles],” Spartan coach Zach Burnham said. “[It] left a bad taste in our mouth last time we were here.”
Bainbridge started out the game with a full-court press on PA, attempting to establish defensive prowess early on in the game. Seniors Hannah Bounketh and Bella Ramirez both got off to hot starts, with Bounketh accounting for five points off of a three-pointer and a two-point jump shot and Ramirez scoring six points through the first.
The Spartans also successfully generated turnovers in the first, allowing for multiple fastbreak scores and surefire points through contested layups and mid-range field goals. Bainbridge ended the quarter with a 20-10 lead over the Roughriders.
Despite some offensive struggles from both squads at the beginning of the second quarter, Ramirez reclaimed the fast-paced scoring the Spartans had in the first quarter by scoring two layups with 3:55 remaining in the half.
Neither team was able to generate any offense for the remainder of the period despite many offensive possessions. The Spartans finished off the first half adding seven more points to their total through Ramirez, and senior Elsa Drugge.
“I think moving the ball more always helps to get a couple of buckets off steals,” Ramirez said. “Just kind of moving the ball, driving, and getting to the paint [was working for us].”
Bainbridge emerged out of the locker room at halftime with aggression, with sophomore Jordan Gardner, Bounketh, and Ramirez kicking off a 9-0 scoring run within the first four minutes of the half.
Bainbridge built a 25-point lead to end the third, with junior Ali Poulson-Houser accounting for a majority of the points scored with eight. The Spartans led 42-17 entering the fourth.
Bainbridge kept its foot on the gas pedal despite the big lead, playing tight defense and forcing many Roughrider turnovers to close out the game.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time, and the goal is to show people around the state that we are a good 2A team,” Burnham said.