Olympia boys cut down Timberline, 63-55

Hunter Sipe left the Timberline High School gym with a bag of ice on his right elbow.

But Olympia’s junior forward insisted it wasn’t fatigue from the game-high 28 points he dropped against the Blazers on Wednesday night.

“It’s just a little physicality,” he said.

Sipe’s performance helped rally the Bears from a fourth-quarter deficit to best Timberline, 63-55, in a Class 4A Narrows League matchup.

“They got out in transition and hurt us in the third quarter,” Olympia coach John Kiley said. “They had a nice lead. I was really proud of our guys in the fourth quarter. Down four going into that fourth quarter, I just challenged them.”

Sipe and company responded. His bucket in transition with five minutes, 40 seconds to play gave Olympia a 52-51 lead it did not lose.

Olympia allowed only six Timberline points in the fourth quarter as it went on a 18-6 run to end the game. The Blazers shot two of 14 from the floor in the final period.

“They played the same defense they did in the first three quarters,” Timberline coach Allen Thomas said. “We kind of lost our rhythm offensively. We were trying to get the ball inside, but we couldn’t get it inside. And when we did, we were kind of timid.”

And for as much trouble as the Blazers had in the paint, Olympia found plenty of space.

“We were over-denying the wings and they were getting into the post,” Thomas said.

David Woodward added 10 points for the Bears, while Liam Murphy tacked on another nine.

“I think we did a good job of being patient,” Kiley said. “When we move the ball, good things happen. But when they got stops or they got boards, they made good things happen.”

Erik Stevenson — who paced Timberline with 20 points — hit a long 3-pointer at the end of the second quarter to bring the Blazers within two at the break.

And Eli Morton hit a pair of free throws and a subsequent 3-pointer midway through the third to give Timberline the lead.

Austin Curry would extend the Blazers’ lead to 51-45 to open the final period, but Olympia cut it down from there.

Morton (12 points), Curry (11) and Jarryn Bush (10) all scored in double digits.

“All we can do now is get back to the drawing board,” Thomas said. “It’s not time to panic, it’s just time to step up.”

Olympia (10-2, 5-1 4A Narrows) sits squarely in second place in the league with the win, while Timberline (7-5, 4-2) drops to third.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Olympia boys cut down Timberline, 63-55."