NK Scrap

Due Next

Tonight

Capturing their sixth consecutive triumph along the double-A tourney trail will be the main intent of West Wildcats tonight when they travel to North Kitsap for a return engagement with Vikings.

In previous outing West came away with a 58-47 victory.

NK will be after their second win of the campaign and first against AA competition.

A SMOOTH WORKING Wildcat quintet exploded for 24 pints in the third quarter to break up a previously close contest and go on to a 66-49 class AA victory over Central Kitsap Cougars here last night.

Wildcats, leading only 29-27 at intermission, put up a fine full court press that Cougars had trouble solving and capitalized on CK mistakes. Tight zone defense also kept the CK shooters far out and ‘Cats came up with some fine ball handling in passing to a man open for an easy two points.

Win gave West a perfect 5-0 mark along the state AA tourney trail and was the fifth triumph in seven outings. CK dropped its second against two wins in AA play.

Junior guard Dick Wright and senior forward Les Dicks led the onslaught in the third panel. Wright out ahead on fast break plays pumped through nine tallies, his total for the night, in eight minutes while Dicks would pass up a good shot in favor of a pass to another ‘Cat.

DICKS LED all point getters with 17. Steve Schumaker trailed with 15 and Fred Kegel added 11.

It took CK 3:30 before it found the basket off a long cannon off the arm of Joe Burroughs. However, visitors from Silverdale found their shooting gone awry and tight pressing Wildcats made it difficult to get the ball into fore court.

While West was rolling up 24 points, Cougars could hit for only seven.

Contest showed promise of being a nip-and-tuck battle to the wire for the first two periods. Cougars, relying on the outside bombing of Al Johnson, raced to a 15-12 first quarter margin. Johnson pumped in eight during that time in which both teams had held leads of four points.

Mentor Ken Lund’s squad kept the lead throughout most of the first seven minutes of the second panel but hosts came up with seven points in the last minute to take their 29-27 lead to the dressing room at the half.

SPEEDY GUARD Jerry Campana took over the scoring bunch during the second quarter as he pushed through eight points all on fast break lay-ins. He finished with 13 to pace CK scorers.

Count was tied five times during the initial 16 minutes of action and the lead changed hands nine times before ‘Cats went in front for good with six seconds showing in the second period.

In third panel West led by as much as 22.

Had either team been able to make free throws the score would have been closer or farther apart. West muffed eight in the opening panel alone before Schumaker twined two with four seconds left to play. For the contest winners hit only eight of 24.

Cougars missing one-and-one shots in the second quarter when they could have built a lead, came up with just 11 of 26 from the charity line. Reserves, who played the whole last quarter, missed five bonus foul shots. Senior guard Jim Williams demonstrated how to make foul shots as he hit six straight in the final quarter.

SENIOR GUARD Burroughs, fifth in total point getting in the league, mustered only eight points last night.

CK shot 29 times less than did ‘Cats as winners maintained a tight defense that didn’t give Cougars many good open shots. Losers hooped 19 of 47, 40.4 per cent, but West pumped through 29 of 76 attempts for a 38.1 percentage.

After tonight, West returns to action next Friday in a crucial AA meeting with East Knights. Contest will be at West.

Cougars return to the maples the same night at Port Townsend.

Statistics

B Team Game

West (64) - Matlock, Gordon 16 Gran 10, Richardson, Shute 7, Egan 4, Chamberlain, Pudas 2, Munns 3, Costello, Watson, Tobacco 22;

CK (38) - Rubie 3, Thompson 4, Colby 9, Segerman 3, Jacobs 10, Carison, Storey, Murphy 9, Ungren, Collier.

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A PASS IN TIME - Les Dicks of West shoveled off a pass to teammate just before hitting the maple during action in last night's contest with CK Cougars. Dicks scoring as he totaled 17 point, and keyed 'Cats fifth straight AA trail victory. Attempting to block pass is CK's Jerry Turner (41) while Cougar Joe Burroughs and 'Cat Leon Leslie watch in the background.  - Sun Photo by Walt Southworth

Frosh Court

Chase Tied

Three Ways

The championship race in the County freshmen basketball league was transformed into a three-way affair yesterday as the Bainbridge yearlings, previously unbeaten, absorbed their initial setback of the year.

East played the imperfect host to Bainbridge scoring a 40-24 victory, while across town West’s Wildkittens were nailing down North Kitsap, 49-24.

Outcome of the two games left East, West and Bainbridge with identical 4-1 records to head the pack.

Jim White and Walt Harrel bucketed 12 points apiece to set West’s victory pace, which Ca Pharr hit 14 and Joe Mount added 10 in East’s conquest.

In both cases, coaches Wayne Jensen of West and Art McCarty of East were able to utilize their full playing complement. East’s pressing defense worked better than at any time this year in leading to the decision.

Next Friday, West and Bainbridge settle part of the title scramble in a meeting at West, while East is on the road for a 1:30 meeting with Marcus Whitman at the South Kitsap high school gym.

East (40) – Pharr 14, Mount 10, Love 1, Albertson 6, Bohlmann 7, Sokolowsky 2, Yeager, Nelson, Walker, McInnes, Topness.

Bainbridge (24) – Taylor 6, Chastain 6, Croker 3, Sinnett 3, Hornsbige 4, Nakao 2.

West (49) – White 12, Harrell 12, Bailey 7, Ogg 4, R. Green 7, Costello 2, D. Green 3, Hoffman 2.

North Kitsap (24) – Stadahaug 7, Morrow 4, Gwarthey 7, Olson 1, Edmonds 1, Mandio 4.