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South Puget Sound 84, Grays Harbor 72

Grays Harbor saw a double-digit first-half lead evaporate and a late run put the game on ice as the Chokers fell to South Puget Sound 84-72 on Saturday at Grays Harbor College.

Grays Harbor (13-8 overall, 4-2 NWAC West) got out to a big lead in the first half, leading 40-25 after Ryan Pearson’s 3-pointer at the 7:41 mark.

But South Puget Sound (16-4, 6-0) responded, cutting the deficit to 40-39 on Cacoa Chatman’s jumper with 2:44 before halftime.

SPG tied the game at 42-all with 0:37 left in first half on two free throws by Branden Bunn.

With the score tied 42-42 at halftime, the game turned into a back-and-forth contest over the first five minutes of the second half, with neither team gaining more than a four-point lead.

That changed with approximately 15 minutes to play as the Chokers took a 57-50 lead highlighted by a Matt Pearson 3-pointer and capped by Michael Sampson’s two-made free throws.

Grays Harbor kept South Puget Sound at arm’s length over the next several minutes of play, holding a six-point lead until the Clippers finally caught the Chokers with less than 10 minutes left to play.

SPG’s Ben Jannsan hit a jump shot to tie the game at 62 with 8:07 left and the Clippers would take a 66-64 lead a few minutes later when Chatman hit a shot with 6:09 remaining.

After the Clippers took a 70-64 lead, Grays Harbor responded when Sampson drove the lane, hit a difficult shot and was fouled with just over five minutes to play. His subsequent free-throw closed the gap to 70-69.

Grays Harbor guard Michael Sampson, middle, is helped up off the floor by his teammates after scoring in the second half of the Chokers’ 84-72 loss to South Puget Sound on Saturday in Aberdeen. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Grays Harbor trailed 74-72 after Zachary Marrotte hit a jump shot with 2:42 left, but that was the last points the Chokers would put up on the board as the Clippers went on a 10-0 run to close out the game.

After the game, Chokers head coach Matt Vargas expressed his frustration with the officiating and what he felt was a lack of consistency in how the game was called.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it, … Time and time again, you look at the scoreboard when we’re winning and we don’t get calls,” Vargas said, noting a clean block by Marrotte was called a foul and a shot by Zyare Ruffin, in which he fought off three Clippers defenders, didn’t get a whistle. “It changes the game. Kids start second-guessing how they can play. My kids always wonder, ‘When is it coming?’ … We’re out there competing, just give us a chance. … When we were up 15 I told my team to play like we are down 10 because there is no way that South Puget Sound, the jewel of the West region, is not going to get calls just based on precedence. It pisses me off because we work hard too and we do more with less.”

Sampson finished with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting for Grays Harbor.

Marrotte scored 15 points and Genuine Powell added 10 points for the Chokers.

Matthew Pearson and Ruffin scored nine apiece for a Grays Harbor team that saw its shooting percentage drop from 50% (17-34) to 40% (12-30) in the second half, including going 2-for-15 (13%) from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes of the game.

SPG was led by Chatman, who scored 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

Bunn added 22 points and Anthony Braggs and Janssan scored 17 apiece for the Clippers.

Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group Grays Harbor College men’s basketball coach Matt Vargas instructs his team during a timeout in the second half of a game against South Puget Sound on Saturday in Aberdeen.

While the loss was disheartening for the Chokers, Vargas said it also showed they can play with any team in the region.

“Our kids are fighters and you see what we’re capable of,” he said. “The better team did not win today. … What you saw in stretches tonight is who we are. It’s not a fluke. It is who we are and we will be great. … We just have to continuously get better and I thought we got better today and I think that’s all that really matters at the end of it.”

South Puget Sound 42 42 — 84

Grays Harbor 42 30 — 72

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

South Puget Sound 85, Grays Harbor 39

Grays Harbor fell behind by 17 points in the first quarter and never recovered, falling to South Puget Sound 85-39 on Saturday at Grays Harbor College.

South Puget Sound (4-15, 3-2 NWAC West) took a 24-7 lead after one quarter and had four players score in double figures, led by Keilani Brown’s 27 points.

Grays Harbor (0-9, 0-4) was led by Armonnie Byrd, who scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the loss.

South Puget Sound 24 14 25 22 — 85

Grays Harbor 7 11 17 4 — 39

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL

Willapa Valley 60, South Bend 5

Willapa Valley held South Bend to just two points in the first half en route to a 60-5 victory on Saturday in Menlo.

The Vikings (9-6, 8-5 Pacific 2B) held a 29-2 lead at halftime after holding South Bend scoreless in the first quarter.

“We played very fine defense and we just didn’t allow them to do anything,” said Vikings head coach John Peterson, who stated he was most pleased with his team going 16-for-21 (76%) from the free-throw line. “For us, that is very rarefied air.”

Britney Patrick scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Vikings.

Katie Adkins scored 11 points, Grace Huber had 10 points and Cami Swartz added 10 points, six steals and two blocks for Willapa Valley.

South Bend 0 2 3 0 — 5

Willapa Valley 9 20 18 13 — 60

Taholah 69, Wishkah Valley 23

The Taholah Chitwhins held Wishkah Valley to seven points in the second half to earn a 69-23 win on Saturday at Wishkah Valley High School.

Nakeah McCrory scored 16 points to lead Taholah (5-5, 3-0 Coastal 1B).

Brooke Haskey scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Wishkah Valley (2-6, 2-4 Coastal 1B) while JJ Morris was cited by the Loggerette coaching staff for her solid defensive play, recording two steals and five deflections in the contest.

Taholah 14 13 25 17 — 69

Wishkah Valley 5 11 3 4 — 23

Other scores

Boys Prep Basketball

Olympic 62, Aberdeen 56

Life Christian 85, Ocosta 45

Girls Prep Basketball

Ilwaco 69, Pe Ell 13

Life Christian 34, Ocosta 27