Wolves finally winning as a team

During the most crucial stretch of the season and against an opponent it can’t ever seem to beat, the South Kitsap girls basketball team put it together and produced the kind of basketball they all knew they were capable of.

“It is a sense of urgency. We all know it,” SK coach Mike Allen said after Wednesday night’s 60-52 win over Port Angeles. “Everyone on the team, everyone on the coaching staff knows it’s a sense of urgency. We have to be ready to come out and play.

“If you’ve seen us throughout the season, you know that we’ve been progressing, “ Allen said. “Even though we’ve dropped some games, we’ve progressed a long ways, we’ve gotten a lot better. I think we’re turning some corners with some individuals. I’m pretty happy with the way we’re playing.”

He should be, especially since the Wolves knocked off the Narrows League Bride Division leaders and got a much-needed win in a week that saw South play three games against the division’s top-two teams.

“It’s the first win against PA since I’ve been around,” Allen said, “except for the first year when I was an assistant. I like it.”

Heading into Friday night’s game with Gig Harbor, the Wolves (8-7, 5-4) were tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with Bremerton. Gig Harbor beat South 64-55 Monday.

“Our team is really starting to pick it up as a team,” junior Morgan Wiggin said. “We’re starting to work as a team a lot better. It’s taken us a while, but we’re getting there and now we’re here.”

Wiggin scored eight points, all in the third quarter, as the Wolves overcame a scoreless second period to take control of the game.

“I think a lot of the losses that we should have had in the last four minutes of games hit us hard tonight, so we decided to pull this one through,” Wiggin said. “We need to pull out a few more.”

The Wolves got balanced scoring from top to bottom, led by Leah Bradley’s 16 points.

Christina Bui netted 11, while Loni Tostenrude scored 10. Jamie McLean and Megan Gilbert each kicked in with six points.

“That’s beautiful, that’s a coach’s dream right there,” Allen said. “If you could have that every night, that’s great.”

Most of the players knew it was time to produce and all of them came through.

“Every person on the court came out with a spark that we haven’t had in our other games,” Tostenrude said. “That’s how we play, and for everyone to come out and play their A game was great.

“Maybe everyone just realized that this is our season right here,” Tostenrude said. “We need these games, so I’m hoping this carries on and I’m sure it will.”

“We were in sync, and we knew we had to do it. It was PA,” Bradley said. “Coach always says, ‘Play defense and offense will come.’ And that’s exactly what happened.”

And what needs to keep happening if the Wolves are to stay in the playoff hunt.

“It was one of those you-gotta-have-it games and you gotta be able to come out in the end of this thing,” Allen said. “We’re kind of — not kind of, we are — on the bubble and it’s not done. This doesn’t make our season by any means. We’ve got a long ways to go to get ourselves into the postseason.

“It’s a step in the right direction and when you play a game like that, it can get you on a roll,” Allen said. “And we need to capitalize on the positive things we did tonight and create a roll.”

South Kitsap 60, Port Angeles 52

Port Angeles 13 11 10 18 — 52

South Kitsap 21 0 17 22 — 60

Port Angeles - Brianna Allen 12, Sarah Bussell 7, Brooke Helpenstell 2, Nicole Morgan 5, Courtney Greenleaf 5, Trish Buckingham 21.

South Kitsap - Christina Bui 11, Jamie McLean 6, Morgan Wiggin 8, Loni Tostenrude 10, Leah Bradley 16, Lindsey Costello 1, Shamika Curtis 2, Megan Gilbert 6.

Gig Harbor 64, South Kitsap 55

South Kitsap 9 17 18 11 — 55

Gig Harbor 18 17 7 22 — 64

South Kitsap - Christina Bui 13, Shamika Curtis 4, Leah Bradley 11, Morgan Wiggin 2, Jamie McLean 6, Loni Tostenrude 13, Megan Gilbert 6.

Gig Harbor - Nikki Scott 10, Leslie Rodriguez 16, Elizabeth Betterbed 10, Ashleigh Abhold 4, Becca Sexton 7, Becky Larsen 6, Kelli Milham 11.

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