COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Peninsula’s Alecsis Smith North MVP; Rose North coach of the year

Published 3:45 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College women’s basketball post player Alecsis Smith was named the North Region’s Most Valuable Player, while coach Alison Rose was named the region’s coach of the year.

Smith, despite averaging 21.5 minutes a game, almost automatically put up double-double stats every game in her sophomore season. She averaged 17.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She was sixth in the NWAC in shooting percentage at 51.5 percent.

Rose led the Pirates to their fifth straight North Region championship with a 14-0 record in the region. She also led the Pirates to their third Final Four in the past four years with a 24-5 overall record.

The Pirates are in the midst of an incredible 54-game North Region winning streak. The last time Peninsula lost a North Region game was in January 2023. Over the past five years, Rose has led her team to an overall record of 117-20.

Peninsula’s Ryana Moss (Neah Bay) was also named to the North Region’s first defensive team, while Makena Patrick was named to the North’s second defensive team.

For the Peninsula men, Patrick Odingo was named to the region’s second team. Odingo averaged 15.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his sophomore year.

NWAC championships

The Walla Walla women’s team, which beat Peninsula in the semifinals 74-62, won its second straight NWAC championship by defeating previously unbeaten Clackamas 57-46 in the finals Sunday.

On the men’s side, Skagit Valley, which finished second in the North Region, beat Lower Columbia 77-72 to win the NWAC championship.

Port Angeles High School graduate Parker Nickerson is a member of the Skagit Valley championship squad. He didn’t get in the championship game as Skagit Valley shortened its bench and played just seven players in the game that was close throughout.