Coach Anthony Lewis almost felt like a player again Nov. 30, the first-game nerves working their way through his body like they had in his own high school days.
The reason they were back was unforgettably different, as Lewis was making his return to the court for the first time since he was targeted seemingly at random in a shooting on Interstate 5. Nine months after his life was hanging on the hinges, the whistle blew, and all minds went back to basketball.
“I felt the emotion from the boys, and I was able to feed off that,” Lewis said. “It was business from there.”
At least for the first night, his boys got business done. A 20-point night for senior Anthony Flashey, including a trio of threes, helped the South Kitsap Wolves hold off the international visitors from Nazareth College in Australia for an opening night 62-56 win.
With senior big man Josaiah Asuega not yet cleared for in-game action due to a finger injury, the Wolves turned to the 6-foot-4 Flashey to keep the paint dangerous. An early 7-0 run for the Wolves was met speedily by the visitors, SK holding just a two-point advantage at the end of the first quarter. Flashey’s first three of the night in quarter two signaled the beginning of what Lewis had hoped to see from him as an all-around leader.
“He’s gonna be somebody that we can trust throughout the season, not just for scoring but for his leadership qualities,” Lewis said. “He’s gonna continue to play a huge role for us.”
Senior Ryan Sablan and Flashey combined for 14 of the team’s 16 second-quarter points, SK pulling to a 27-22 lead at the half.
While Nazareth fell into a slump, the Wolves began to make a breakaway in the third quarter. Led by Flashey’s 10 points, five other Wolves tallied scores in a 24-point quarter that brought their lead to as many as 18.
Yet basketball is basketball no matter what country you play in, and Nazarene’s push to close the gap cut that lead to as little as six. It would remain that deficit at game’s end, Lewis saying rebounding and transition defense would be high priority at future practices.
Sablan led the team in scoring with 22 points, folowed by Flashey’s 20 and senior Michael Hulet had five. Eight Wolves scored points.
