By Ed Friedrich

Sun Sports Writer

Like the lady at the end of the bar, South Kitsap started out ugly but was looking like Miss American by the last call of a 36-35 nonleague girls basketball defeat of Bremerton in last night’s grand opening of the Knights’ new gym.

Michelle Snell hit the bullseye with two last-second free throws for the tying and winning points. The 5-11 senior finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds to give the Wolves their second win in as many nights. Bremerton, which led by four with less than two minutes to go, slipped to 1-1.

Bremerton’s 6-1 center, Missy Beard, put back Amy Keller’s errant shot with 1:50 remaining to hike the Knights’ lead to 35-31, but Snell countered with a 12-footer from the right baseline to bring the Wolves back within a bucket with :57.

Out front on a 2-on-1 break, Beard had a chance to put it away with 15 seconds to play, but the past went off her fingertips and out of bounds. The lead appeared safe when South’s Roshel Shepherd missed a pair of free throws with seven ticks on the clock, but the carom went out of bounds to the Wolves.

Lizz Henson was fouled one second later and banked the front end of a 1-and-1 off the glass. Snell battle for the rebound of the second shot, missed the putback and was fouled underneath fighting for her own rebound with one second remaining.

Her first shot was perfect and, after the Knights called a timeout to give her time to think about the game-winner, so was the second.

“Michelle did not play one of her better games, but she was there when it counted,’ said first-year SK coach Dan Whitford, adding that his forward appeared tired after back-to-back games.

Asked if he Snell was the player he wanted shooting for the victory, Whitford said, “No question. Her goal this year is to shoot 100 percent from the foul line, and while she hasn’t made it (6-for-9 last night), she’s by far our best free throw shooter. She told me the last 10 games of last year she didn’t miss one.

“I said that (goal) was a little bit unrealistic, but if she’s 100 percent the last one second of a game when we’re down by one point, that’s what counts.

“She’s just a good shooter. She’s an excellent basketball player. I think she’s one of the best basketball players we’ve ever had. I don’t think she’s the best athlete to play basketball. Donna Monette was probably the best athlete since I’ve been here. She’s had a lot of coaching, she’s had a lot of experience, she went to Europe last year. She’s just an experienced player.”

The first half was truly ugly as fouls and turnovers far outnumbered baskets. Bremerton’s Beard, who had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 11 steals in her first game, picked up her second foul five minutes into the contest and had to sit down. South’s Henson didn’t even make it 2½ minutes before having to come out with two fouls. Robin Braaten, South’s 5-11 center, was whistled for her third personal midway through the first quarter and Snell was tagged with her second with 26 seconds to go in the period. Both teams played without their top players. Snell and Beard, for much of the second quarter.

Bremerton gave the Wolves fits in the first half with tight defense from the center stripe. Sixteen of South’s 25 turnovers came before halftime.

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Staff photos by Larry Steagall

South Kitsap coach Dan Whitford watches (left), then celebrates after Michelle Snell hit the second of two clutch free throws in the final seconds to lift the Wolves to a 36-35 win over Bremertno last night.

Bremerton, however, committed 12 second-quarter turnovers and matched the Wolves with 25 on the night. In fact, during one stretch of the second period the teams combined for seven straight turnovers without taking a shot.

The sluggish first half was tied 6-6 after one period. Bremerton took a 13-12 halftime edge and led by five much of the third period.

Both teams shot poorly. The Knights were 15-for-46 (33 percent) from the field and 5-for-22 (23 percent) from the line, the Wolves (12-for-43 (28 percent) and 12-for-34 (35 percent). But South, which got off just 12 field goals attempts in the first half, had 31 tries in the second.

“They played really a pressure man-to-man defense against us and we didn’t handle it very well,” said Whitford, noting that his girls were tight about playing the first game in the new Bremerton gym. “We just tried to make little adjustments as we went along as to where to set up the offense, where to take the ball to and they started getting it at the end.”

Whitford said Ebn Kinney, a 5-7 junior, did a good job taking care of the ball “considering the situation. They put a lot of pressure on her and she didn’t quit.” Se also scored eight points. Shepherd grabbed 12 rebounds.

Monica Blye, who led the Knights with 13 points, made the first basket in the new gym, banking in a free throw 34 seconds into the game. Stephanie Watson scored six points and provided much-needed muscle against the stronger Wolves, grabbing eight rebounds. Amy Keller led Bremerton with 12 boards.

Bremerton hosts Vancouver Tech of Canada Tuesday while South is idle until Wednesday when they host Olympic.

Non-League Friday