Gig Harbor dismantles Foss press, closes in on top-three league seed

Tides head down stretch with just one loss at home

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

When Gig Harbor junior post Austin Seferian-Jenkins fills up a stat sheet like he fills up the lane, the Tides are tough to stop.

Jenkins used all of his 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame on Saturday to help Gig Harbor beat the Foss Falcons 57-48 in a home Class 4A Narrows League game.

The victory put Gig Harbor (8-5 league, 13-5 overall) in a spot where it can get a top-three seed into the league tournament later this month.

Wilson (9-4, 13-5) holds the No. 2 spot in the Narrows Bridge Division but faces tougher opponents — Lincoln (10-3, 11-7) and Foss (7-5, 11-6) — before the regular season concludes. Gig Harbor holds the tiebreaker over Wilson because the Tides swept the season series with the Rams.

Gig Harbor’s remaining schedule has games against South Kitsap and Shelton, two teams the Tides have beaten this year.

It could get tricky if both Gig Harbor and Foss win out. If that’s the case, the Tides and Falcons would play a one-game playoff for the No. 2 league seed.

All that hinged on Gig Harbor beating Foss last weekend.

Seferian-Jenkins utilized his size advantage and finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Gig Harbor head coach Tom Adams said when he plays well, the Tides are pretty good.

“He’s a matchup issue,” Adams said. “He needs to play well in order for us to win, and he’s accepted that challenge.”

Gig Harbor jumped out to an early double-digit lead, and Seferian-Jenkins had a lot to do with it. He scored eight points in the first quarter and was a physical presence during the Falcons’ fourth-quarter push.

Seferian-Jenkins acknowledged his importance but believes his role is just as important as the other players.

“There was nobody who could match up with me height wise and weight wise,” he said. “I feel confident in everyone that they can step up and play. Everyone is really important, and that’s what’s driving us to success.”

The Falcons’ defense was quick, physical and athletic. They applied a half-court 2-2-1 press, trapping Gig Harbor’s first pass over the centerline and the next pass to the baseline.

The press had more of an effect in second half.

After Foss trailed 37-30 at halftime, the Falcons closed to within one late in the third quarter. Senior guard Moogie Lentz led the team with 13 points.

But the Tides never surrendered the lead. Gig Harbor finished with 20 assists on 23 field goals, and Adams said the unselfish style was highlighted when they could break Foss’ press and find an open player going to the basket.

Gig Harbor point guard Chris Repar finished with eight points, seven assists and 10 rebounds, and he only committed one turnover despite the Falcons’ pressure.

“We’re starting to develop some mental toughness,” Adams said. “Kids are still making mistakes, but they’re not hanging their heads and bailing out. They are talking themselves through it, so there’s progress.”

Gig Harbor senior Andy Rothenberg came off the bench and scored nine points, and he was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

“It builds momentum for us to win out from here,” Rothenberg said. “I think we learned from the Lincoln game. We bounced back well, stayed focused, determined and stayed confident, for the most part.”

Having Seferian-Jenkins in the middle has been crucial, he said.

“He’s a very versatile leader,” Rothenberg said. “If we need him on offense, he’ll be there for us. If we need him on defense, we can count on him.”

Gig Harbor has lost just one home game this season. The Tides will host South Kitsap (3-9, 6-11) tonight at 7, and they’ll finish the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday at Shelton (1-12, 2-16).