The South Kitsap High School boys basketball team’s playoff aspirations only get tougher after losing to Curtis High School 55-42 Jan. 22 in Port Orchard.
The Wolves are now 7-11 overall and 4-9 in the South Puget Sound – North League. SK entered the matchup winning three out of its last five while Curtis came in winning six out of seven, both teams finding sparks before the playoffs.
“It was pretty much a must-win if we wanted to get into the playoffs,” SK coach Anthony Lewis said. “Things look a lot tougher now.”
Both teams came out of the gates playing full-court press defense on each other, limiting any scoring for the first few minutes of the game. SK was able to strike first with a bucket from senior Boden Harvey.
Regardless, tight defense was the story of the first quarter, as neither team was able to find any offensive rhythm until later in the period. With both teams playing full-court press from the get-go, it was difficult for either team to avoid foul trouble and put points on the board.
SK led 10-8 after the first quarter, but the lead wouldn’t last very long. The Vikings opened up the second period scoring 10 points to the Wolves’ four within the first few minutes of the quarter, stealing the lead from SK and building a sizable lead of their own 24-14.
Harvey and fellow seniors Anthony Flashey and Josaiah Asuega accounted for all of the scoring for the Wolves in the second quarter while the Vikings managed to put up 19 points total, establishing a lead of 27-20 entering the half.
Both teams found themselves at the free throw line many times in the third quarter. Curtis also maintained their full-court press from the first half, limiting the Wolves from scoring many points in the middle of the third. Momentum found the Wolves again after Asuega managed to get a contested layup with ten seconds remaining. Curtis led 41-31 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wolves got on the board quickly in the final period with a layup from senior Josiah Blunt-Robinson followed by a Harvey fastbreak layup, cutting Curtis’ lead to five again in the first minute of the quarter.
However, the Vikings began to slow SK down by playing tight defense and maintaining its full-court press through the fourth. The Wolves were unable to produce much scoring as a result.
“Little hustle plays here and there when we were about to go on a run, or we play great defense and give up an offensive rebound; those little plays make a huge difference in the long run,” Lewis said.