The South Kitsap girls basketball team struggled to combat Spanaway Lake’s full-court press throughout the game in a 47-17 loss at Bethel High School Feb. 7, ending the Wolves season.

An SK win would have advanced them to districts. “We came in knowing what they [Spanaway Lake] do on defense,” SK coach Dexter Clark said. “We just weren’t able to execute.”

SK had problems with the press from the start as the Wolves could not score any points for the majority of the first quarter, largely due to the number of turnovers they were committing. The Wolves didn’t score until junior forward Camille Citizen had a layup in the final seconds of the first period, the score being 13-2. The Wolves found themselves in foul trouble as well early on, accruing five fouls by then.

SK began to find its way around the tight defense in the second quarter as junior guard Lena Bowman accounted for five of the six total points the Wolves scored in that period. Turnovers and foul trouble continued to plague SK, limiting its overall offensive possessions throughout the game. Spanaway led 24-8 at halftime.

“I think we just needed to figure out how to shift correctly and communicate with each other,” SK freshman guard Jenna Booth said.

The offensive spark did not carry through as the third quarter progressed. The Sentinels went on an 8-2 scoring run within the first four minutes of that period.

Booth was able to breathe some life into the SK offense with three minutes remaining in the third, sinking two free throws. The fourth quarter spelled more of the same for the Wolves. SK was unable to score any points up until junior guard Peyton Evans converted a free throw. The Wolves attempted to generate more offense via three-point shots and being more aggressive when rebounding, but they were only able to generate five points that quarter.

“We’re real young with little varsity experience throughout the whole season,” Clark said. “It’s gaining this experience and bringing it into next year [that will] get us to a better place.”