EAST BREMERTON — Central Kitsap’s Colby White was as cool as a cucumber when the Trojans continually sent him to the free throw line late in the fourth quarter.
The junior point guard went 9-for-9 on his free throw attempts in the final frame, giving him 16 points for the quarter and 18 for the game as the Cougars (3-0) bested Olympic, 72-66.
The Trojans (0-2) made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, entering the final stanza down 13. But as the team got close late in regulation, they began to intentionally foul in the hopes of closing the deficit. But White’s perfection kept them at bay.
“That’s how you finish a game,” Central Kitsap head coach Scott McMinds said. “He’s the guy we want to get the ball. He’s such a good shooter at the line.”
Owen Davies made his season debut and scored a game-high 20 points. Seniors Austin McMinds (15 points) and Elijah McGee (13 points) both got into double digits as well. Whether it was McMinds in the first quarter, Davies in the second quarter, or White down the stretch, the Cougars simply rode the hot hand.
“I think it was a big part of how we got the lead early,” Davies said. “We did a good job getting the ball up the court and that led to a lot of transition points.”
Olympic struggled from the field in the first half, but eventually got the offense working. The fourth quarter charge was spurred by a pair of big 3-pointers by Caleb Morgan and another by Brady Nelson. Greg Brehmer, who led the Trojans with 19 points, had little trouble scoring inside and was the team’s most consistent player from start to finish.
“That’s what we want in a non-league game,” McMinds said, “a fun crosstown rivalry, and I thought they played well.”
Central Kitsap 72, Olympic 66
CK 19 17 17 19 — 72
Oly 12 11 17 26 — 66
Central Kitsap (72) — Davies 20, C. White 18, McMinds 15, McGee 13, Humm 2, Labow 2, Tower 2.
Olympic (66) — Brehmer 19, Morgan 14, Barron 11, McInnis 8, Nelson 8, D. White 6.
Lady Trojans dominate
In the first game of the doubleheader, the outcome was rarely in doubt as the fast, athletic Trojans pulled away from a younger Central Kitsap team early en route to a 62-35 win.
Olympic (2-1) had a balanced scoring attack as ten different players hit the scoresheet, but senior wing Zoie Matheny, with a game-high 16 points, and junior post Morgan Kroesser, who scored 12, were the offensive stars of the game. Whether they worked the ball inside or outside, the result was the same — points went on the board.
“We’re versatile,” said Olympic head coach Bryan Hanley. “We have two big posts that are very accomplished and we have guards that are unselfish and willing to feed them if they’re hot and they’ve got it going. We’ll make sure we pound the post. Conversely, the posts are unselfish, they’re not looking for numbers, they’re looking for wins.”
The Trojans pushed the pace from the start and rarely let up. They jumped out to a 19-7 lead after one quarter with Matheny’s seven points leading the way, but there were several other contributors. Allanah Mitchell drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Brilee Triggs, who is still working her way back from an injury, also hit a pair of jumpers.
“I like the fact that we played 32 minutes,” Hanley said. “There was not 30 minutes of effort, it was a full 32 minutes. That’s a signature of what the Lady Trojans need to be.”
And with their defense also in good form, forcing a high number of Central Kitsap turnovers, it was the team’s most consistent effort of the season.
“We merged everything together today and came out with the dub,” Matheny said.
Olympic 62, Central Kitsap 35
CK 7 11 5 12 — 35
Oly 19 15 12 16 — 62
Central Kitsap (35) — Taylor 16, Neumann 8, Sincere 3, Anderson 2, Pilchard 2, Reyes 2, Richmond 2.
Olympic (62) — Matheny 16, Kroesser 12, Riley 6, Triggs 6, Willis 6, Gates 5, Turnquist 4, Mitchell 3, Ashcroft 2, Williams 2.
