CK girls competitive, but still fall to PA

It was better, but Central Kitsap coach Denise Baxter still wasn’t satisfied.

“We can play a lot better,” Baxter said after her Cougars dropped a 65-51 Narrows League Bridge Division game at Port Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 24. “We just need to learn how to take care of the basketball. We need to be a lot more disciplined.”

Still, it showed that the Cougars have come a ways since getting hammered by Port Angeles, 72-47, at home on Dec. 14.

Wednesday’s margin of defeat is as close as any league team has come against the Roughriders (8-0 league, 12-2) this season. Central (6-2, 11-5), which has wrapped up a postseason berth, played at third-place Gig Harbor (5-2, 10-4) on Friday, Jan. 25.

The Cougars dug themselves an early hole, falling behind 10-0. CK trailed 40-20 at halftime.

“We held them to one point in the first five minutes of the third quarter, but everytime we’d make a run, we’d come up with two turnovers in a row or two in three possessions,” Baxter said. “We weren’t in it, but we weren’t out of it either if we would have taken care of the ball. We probably averged seven turnovers a quarter.”

The Cougars held the high-scoring Roughriders to 25 points in the second half.

“We worked hard on defense,” Baxter said. “That was a real bright spot.”

Adria Layne scored 18 points for the Cougars. “If she got it inside, it was pretty much automatic,” Baxter said.

Nicole Zygmontowicz added 14 points and Sheena Stangler nine for CK.

Ashley Payne led the Roughriders with 18 points.

“They’re a good basketball team, but I won’t be satisfied until we beat them,” Baxter said. “But if we don’t bring our best game, it won’t happen.”

The top three teams in the Narrows Bridge Division earn automatic berths in the West Central District Class 4A Tournament. The fourth-place team plays the Bay Division No. 5 team . The winner plays Bay Division No. 4 for a district berth.

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