North Kitsap boys basketball blitzes Bremerton for 60th straight home win

POUSLBO — There might be a day when Bremerton's boys basketball team replaces North Kitsap as the dominant program in the Olympic League 2A.

That day was not Tuesday.

"Not yet," North Kitsap senior guard Harry Davies said after the Vikings toppled the Knights 70-44 to earn their 60th consecutive home victory and 18th straight win against the Bremerton. "You've got to take it from us. We're not going to give it to you."

Davies scored a team-high 20 points as North Kitsap improved to 8-3 overall and 6-0 in league play. Bremerton (10-2, 4-2) fell into a three-way tie for second place with Bainbridge and Port Angeles. Freshman Jalen Davis posted 21 points for the Knights.

North Kitsap, which hasn't lost at home since a 62-60 overtime defeat against Jackson in 2017, has been Olympic League champion or co-champion every season since 2015. Bremerton entered the week with designs on challenging the Vikings after winning 10 straight games to open the season, but North Kitsap isn't interested in stepping down off the top of the podium.

"Getting that win early on at home is important," North Kitsap head coach Scott Orness said.

For much of Tuesday's game, the Knights struggled against the Vikings' high-pressure defense. North Kitsap, which led 11-6 after the first quarter, finished the second quarter on a 9-0 run to go ahead 31-14. Bremerton never got closer than 14 points in the second half.

Davis, the son of Bremerton head coach Miah Davis, hit some impressive buckets while being guarded by Vikings senior guard Cade Orness, but North Kitsap made him work every time he touched the ball.

"We wanted to chest him up on cuts and double him on on-ball screens and I felt like the game-plan worked pretty well," Scott Orness said of Davis, who entered the game averaging 29 points per contest. "He's a real special player. He's going to have a real nice high school career and have a lot of options when he's done after his senior year, no doubt."

Davis had little help — Bremerton's four other starters combined for 11 total points. That won't get it done against a team as deep as North Kitsap, which placed sixth at the 2A state tournament last season.

"It has to do with executing," said Miah Davis, whose team hosts Kingston on Thursday. "Today was another day you'll learn from."

North Kitsap, meanwhile, saw three players score in double-figures. In addition to Davies, Orness chipped in with 14 and junior guard Jordan Williams added 13.

"All of our guys are playing with confidence right now," Orness said.

North Kitsap hosts North Mason on Thursday before facing Federal Way in a MLK Day road matchup Jan. 15.

"Federal Way will be a great test for us," Scott Orness said. "They are a powerhouse."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: North Kitsap boys basketball tops Bremerton for 60th straight home win