First-place Lake Stevens defeats Oak Harbor boys

In basketball mathematics, Lake Stevens has a winning equation.

The first-place Vikings rolled over the visiting Oak Harbor’s boys 59-37 Friday.

When you add together stingy defense, great hustle, sharp shooting, strong fundamentals and gifted athleticism in basketball, the general sum is wins – lots of wins. Lake Stevens has parlayed those talents into a 12-1 Wesco North record.

The Vikings put those skills on display in their win over the Wildcats (3-9, 4-12), but two, defense and pin-point shooting, stood out.

Lake Stevens limited Oak Harbor to just 13 first half points as it built a comfortable 35-13 cushion going into halftime.

The Wildcats matched the Vikings in the second half, as each team scored 24 points, but the damage was done early in the contest.

Shooting, or lack of accuracy from Oak Harbor’s perspective, was the difference in the game.

Lake Stevens harassed the Wildcat shooters into a poor shooting night, 26.5 percent (13-49). Oak Harbor’s Jay Stout hit two of three 3-point attempts, but his teammates went 0-11 from long range.

The Vikings nailed nine of 21 3-pointers (43 percent) and shot 49 percent from the floor.

Oak Harbor had two fewer turnovers (11 to 13) and only one less rebound (32 to 33) than the Vikings. The ‘Cats had a 13-8 edge in offensive boards.

Oak Harbor also won the free-throw shooting battle, hitting nine of 13. Amazingly, Lake Stevens did not attempt a foul shot in the game. Oak Harbor had just eight fouls, Lake Stevens 14.

Oak Harbor coach Mike Washington Sr. said, “They (Lake Stevens) are a very good team. I thought we played well. We are getting better and I like where we are heading.”

Stout led Oak Harbor with 12 points. Mike Washington Jr. had eight; Denzel Hardin seven; and Rashaad Smith, Ryan Fakkema and Stevie Bratt two each.

Oak Harbor also got seven points from Colby Anter. Washington Sr. lauded Anter’s consistent effort in the game.

Oak Harbor goes to Arlington (6-6, 9-7) Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

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