SK hot and cold in 66-48 win over Shelton

The key word all year long in the South Kitsap boy’s basketball community has been intensity.

It seems the Wolves have plenty of it, but it just seems to come and go during games, and Friday night was no exception in the Wolves 66-48 Narrows League Bridge Division win over Shelton.

“It’s like that every game,” senior post Ryan Sweet said. “We normally seem to get up by 15 (points) and then we start letting everyone get back in there. We keep letting everyone get back in and we need to stop doing that.”

That will be the key topic of discussion this week as the ninth-ranked Wolves, 13-1 overall and 7-1 in league play, prepare for two very important road games. South travels to Port Angeles (10-4, 6-2) today and then heads to Gig Harbor (12-2, 7-1) Friday night to avenge its lone loss.

“It will be a tough week,” Sweet said. “PA in PA is always hard. It’s a hard place to go to. Gig Harbor, I think we’ll be ready for. We have a little chip on our shoulder and we’re going to bring it.”

South looked to do just that Friday night against the Highclimbers as they jumped out to a quick 10-point first-quarter lead. But the Wolves could never really put the game out of reach and led just 34-23 at the half.

“Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy,” South coach John Callaghan said. “When we get up on someone, sometimes I think we forget how we got there. When we’re not patient offensively in the half court, that’s how people get back in the games. When you get the opportunity to put someone away, you need to put them away.”

South responded by outscoring Shelton 21-8 in the third to take a comfortable lead. But even then, Shelton hung around and threatened to keep things interesting all the way to the end.

“We had intensity at the very beginning of the game and then we lost it,” Sweet said. “We didn’t pick it back up until the third quarter, and then we pretty much put them away.”

Sweet led the Wolves with 15 points and five rebounds while fellow post Josh Monagle netted 10 points and six boards.

Conner Gehring and Tippy Burk each scored nine.

And while Shelton was trying to put a scare into South — Andrew Boykin led all scorers with 21 points — Monagle also gave his team and coach one when he came down awkwardly on his right ankle midway through the second period and had to be helped off the court.

But the 6-4 big guy returned to score six points in the third quarter and should be fine for this week’s games.

With two of the league top four team’s on the schedule this week, Callaghan said it’s time for his guys keep the intensity level high throughout the entire game.

“Our pressure was good in the full court, but our half–court defense was just not very good,” Callaghan said. “That’s something we need to look at and work on.

“When we’re a little impatient and take the first shot that comes along, it’s not good for us,” Callaghan said. “So we’ve got some things to work on before (this week).”

The Wolves are at Port Angeles tonight and at Gig Harbor on Friday. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip. And if South can win both, they could then be in control of their own destiny and would have the inside track to a second-straight Bridge Division title.

“(These games) are going to tell us where we’re at anyway,” Callaghan said. “They’re tough games but it’s going to be fun.”

South Kitsap 66, Shelton 48

Score by quarters

Shelton 12 11 8 17 – 48

South Kitsap 21 13 21 11 – 66

Shelton – Andrew Boykin 18, 3-3 – 21; Curtis Trondsen 4, 0-0 – 4; Charlie Vernon 3, 0-0 – 3; Corey Golob 13, 0-0 – 13; Derek Ranney 0, 0-0 – 0; Alex Olson 4, 1-2 – 5; Chris Chapman 2, 0-0 – 2; Connor Harron 0, 0-0 – 0. Team totals: 44, 4-5 – 48.

South Kitsap – Conner Gehring 8, 1-3 – 9; Tippy Burk 7, 2-2 – 9; LP Neloms 4, 2-3 – 6; Josh Monagle 8, 2-3 – 10; Ryan Sweet 14, 1-1 – 15; Evan Atwater 3, 2-4 – 5; Joe Pisa 8, 0-0 – 8; Tyasiah Curry 2, 0-1 – 2; Kris Carlson 0, 0-0 – 0; Garrett Boone 0, 2-2 – 2; Jared Privatt 0, 0-0 – 0; Gibson Davies 0, 0-0 – 0. Team totals: 54, 12-19 – 66.

Three-point field goals: Boykin 2, Vernon, Golob 3, Burk, Atwater.

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