Wolves get wakeup call in 60-48 loss to Tides

When a team scores just two field goals in the first half the odds of earning a victory are slim.

The South Kitsap High School boys basketball team managed to trail by just 10 points at intermission, but Gig Harbor outplayed SK in all facets of the Wolves’ 60-48 loss Wednesday night at the Gig Harbor gym.

SK looked to rebound from the loss with a win last night at home against Olympic. Results were unavailable at press time.

“Our shots were just not dropping,” SK coach John Callaghan said. “We had seven turnovers in the first quarter alone and (Gig Harbor) played well.”

The Wolves hit the wall in the second quarter, scoring just six points compared to Gig Harbor’s 18. Callaghan said a combination of Gig Harbor’s defense, home crowd, poor officiating, and SK’s inability to adjust were the keys to the loss.

He also takes some blame for the loss.

“Their defense had a little bit to do with it,” he said. “I didn’t do a good job, either.”

In SK’s 52-47 win against Gig Harbor on Jan. 4, it held the Tides’ leading scorer Justin Allison to 10 points.

On Wednesday Allison lit up South for 23.

What helped shut Allison down in the first game was the diamond-and-one defense.

It’s a zone defense except for one SK defender who plays man on a team’s best shooter — in this case Allison.

In the second go-around, Callaghan chose to keep his team in man defense.

“I was going to go to diamond in the second half, but were down 10 points,” Callaghan said. “It’s not a good defense when you’re trailing.”

The home crowd hovered over the game, Callaghan said, and even caused game stoppage a couple of times to push the fans away from the court.

He also said Gig Harbor reverted to fouling a lot on defense to keep SK out of its rhythm.

“The (referee) association down there lets you play more,” he said. “We did not adjust very well to the officiating. Give Gig Harbor credit. They outplayed us.”

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