Cubs withstand ’Cats comeback / Boys basketball

By Jim Waller • December 3, 2018 1:30 am

Down by 19 points, the Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team trimmed the deficit to 6 but couldn’t get any closer and lost 87-72 to visiting Sedro-Woolley Saturday, Dec. 1.

The Cubs went up 49-30 late in the second quarter and led 53-35 with six minutes remaining in the third period. Oak Harbor cut the gap to 10, 55-45, after three quarters, then narrowed the margin to six, 72-66, with 2:47 left in the game.

From there, Sedro-Woolley slowed pulled away for the non-conference win.

“I am really proud of the guys,” coach John Weston said in regard to this club’s comeback. “We played together in the second half.”

He noted that his team was out of position in its press in the early stages of the game, allowing the Cubs some easy hoops.

“We ran it pretty good in the second half,” he added, “We put on a lot of pressure and it worked.”

Haven Brown, who scored 32 points, had “a huge game,” Weston said. “I was more impressed with his intensity and rebounding.”

Sedro-Woolley started the game with a 5-2 lead and then converted three consecutive turnovers by Oak Harbor into points and led 11-2. Four Cubs scored 4 or more points and Sedro-Woolley was up 23-11 at the end of the period.

Brown scored 10 points and Andrew Baloy 6 in the second quarter to help the Wildcats tally 20. But it wasn’t enough as the Cubs countered with 26 and led at the break 49-31.

The Wildcats chipped away in the third. Brown scored 10 points, Dorian Hardin 9 and Oak Harbor outscored Sedro-Woolley 24-16. The Wildcats helped their cause by sinking all nine of their free throws.

The hot foul shooting disappeared in the fourth quarter.

Oak Harbor’s comeback attempt was crippled when the Wildcats made only three of 13 foul shots in the final period.

Five of the misses came after Oak Harbor cut the Cubs’ lead to 6 points.

For the game, Oak Harbor went 20-for-34.

Austin Boesch helped get the comeback started with a pair of three-balls. With the Cubs leading 72-61 with 4:30 left in the game, Brown scored Oak Harbor’s next 5 points to make it 72-66. Sedro-Woolley, however, held on to secure the win.

Hardin complemented Brown’s offensive efforts with 15 points. Terrell Crumpton had 7, Baloy 6, Boesch 6, Kevin Schuldt 4 and Matt Kelley 2.

Isaisah Gurerero had 25, Aidan Fitzpatrick 19 and Keenan Hofstad 17 for the Cubs.

Oak Harbor (1-1) hosts Blaine (1-1) at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4.