The 3-ball did not work out in North Kitsap’s favor throughout the game against Sequim Feb. 7.

The Vikings fell to the Wolves 77-47 in Poulsbo as they just couldn’t hit from beyond the arc.

NK entered the matchup needing a win to help its postseason chances. However, the Vikings have struggled recently, dropping their last two games to North Mason Jan. 31 74-73 and Port Angeles Jan. 28 61-54.

NK coach Shaa Humphrey said his team didn’t rebound well, either. “Our main thing was to box out and try to limit them to one shot.”

NK used a full-court press in the middle of the first quarter after giving up seven consecutive fastbreak points off of turnovers—attempting to establish an aggressive defensive strategy. The second period saw NK’s aggressiveness and up-tempo gameplay bite them, with Sequim jumping out to a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining in the half after a 14-3 run featuring Viking turnovers and offensive miscues.

The Vikings came back with a 7-0 run of their own as senior guard Luke Ryan hit a three-point shot and fellow senior guard Jonas Funston forced a turnover but the home team still trailed 38-23 at intermission. Jordan Williams led NK in scoring. He said their strategy against the Wolves didn’t work.

“Our initial game plan was to kind of let them live and die by the three,” Williams said. “[Offensively], our mindset was to get inside and see one go through and then try to hit shots from the outside.”

Williams’ scoring slowed down in the third, allowing the Wolves to jump to a 20-point lead with five minutes remaining in the third period. The fourth continued to highlight NK’s overall offensive struggles. The Vikings took many 3-pointers to try to cut into Sequim’s lead, but few went through the hoop.

NK went back to its full-court press, but it didn’t work as well, allowing Sequim to jump out to a 30-point lead. While the Vikings had their highest-scoring quarter in the fourth with 15, they could not cut into the Wolves’ lead.

Humphrey said the team still has a chance for postseason play, but it has to work hard. “There’s always something to play for, and if you want to make the playoffs, it starts at practice,” Humphrey said.