The Highline men’s basketball team dropped three straight games in its second week of NWAC play. 

The team lost in a last-second thriller to the Olympic Rangers 84-83 last Wednesday in the Pavilion. 

Guard Micah Jessie led the team with 22 points on 8-18 shooting. Guard Earl Lee also had a great effort off the bench with 15 points. 

The T-Birds continued their struggles with shooting in the first half. They shot 34.2 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three-point range, going into halftime down 43-29.

Highline flipped a switch in the second half, outscoring Olympic 54-41 and shooting 60.6 percent from the field.

Olympic guard Wayne Jamison led the Rangers in scoring with 32 on 12-19 shooting, with six of those shots being three pointers.  

Forward Tyrell Moore fouled Olympic guard Aundree Polk with 7 seconds left. Polk made one of his two free throws, giving the rangers a one-point lead. 

Highline guard Kenny Curtis missed a game-winning three pointer with three seconds left, which sealed the win for Olympic.

“We expect to win and to keep pushing through adversity. We will continue to progress and stick together as a unit,” said Jessie.

The Thunderbirds participated in the Spokane Tournament last Friday-Sunday. The team won their matchup against Blue Mountain 100-83 on Friday, but lost to Big Bend 71-61 on Saturday and Whatcom 70-60 on Sunday.

During this thre- game stretch, the T-Birds shot 44.2 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from three-point range.

In the first half dozen games, Highline ranks bottom six in the league in assists with 10.5 per game.

“As a team, we need to move the ball better so we can get better and more open shots,” said Jessie.

The T-Birds meanwhile have not used more than eight players in any game, including only six against Whatcom on Dec. 5. Injuries and academic issues continue to plague the squad, which lists 13 players on its roster. 

The T-Birds are scheduled to participate in the Bellevue Classic this weekend. The team will face 2-2 Walla Walla on Friday at 5 p.m. They will play 3-2 Chemeketa on Saturday at 2 p.m. and finish off the tournament on Sunday at 2 p.m. with a game against 5-1 Bellevue, who are currently on a four-game winning streak. 

Highline has six more games for the rest of December, including home games at 5 p.m. Dec. 17 against Columbia Basin and at 2 p.m. Dec. 18 against Shoreline. Highline closes out 2021 with a 6 p.m. home game Dec. 30 against Peninsula. 

League play begins Wednesday, Jan. 5 at Green River at 7:30 p.m.