BREMERTON — The Peninsula College basketball men got off to a rough start this season, with a number of close losses, but after two weeks of league play, they’re sitting at 3-1 after a 77-63 win over Olympic.
Meanwhile, the Peninsula women lost a close one 47-45 to Olympic.
Malik Moore had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Pirates, while Davien Harris-Williams scored 19. Samuel Kahapea and Nyair Cleveland each scored 12, with Cleveland adding six boards. Erik Kelly had seven points and six rebounds.
With the win, the Peninsula men, who at one point were 3-11, are 3-1 in the North Division, tied for second place one game behind first-place Everett.
Coach Donald Rollman said the change in fortunes for the team comes down to preparation.
“[With the preparation, they know what’s going on out on the floor,” said Rollman. “They’re not just playing barn basketball. They players are doing a much better job preparing.”
Rollman thinks the Pirates are getting into a good rhythm now that they’ve entered conference play. They’ve gotten off to a good conference start shorthanded as Eli’Sha Sheppard, one of their main players, has been out with a concussion.
Rollman said it appears Sheppard’s injury is probably season-ending, but that the team is hoping to hear this week if James Buckley, another one of their main pieces, can return.
Peninsula (3-1, 6-12) next hosts Whatcom (2-2, 8-8) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Peninsula 77, Olympic 63
PC 36 41 — 77
Oly. 25 38 — 63
Peninsula (77) — Harris-Williams 19, Moore 17, Kahapea 12, Cleveland 12, Kelly 7, Thomas 5, Seldon 3, Glover 2.
Olympic (63) — Banks 20, Dennis 13, Mosely 11, Johnson 10, Clark 5, Walker 2, Kelley 2.
Women’s Basketball Olympic 47, Peninsula 45
The Peninsula women had two shots in the final minute to try and get past Olympic, but neither fell in a tough two-point road loss.
It was the women’s third league game out of four in which the margin of victory was one basket. The women have lost two out of those three, pulling out a 64-63 win over Skagit on Wednesday.
Saturday’s Olympic game was close throughout with neither team ever getting more than a six-point lead. The Pirate women are ruing their free-throw shooting in this one, as they only made 7 out of 16 from the charity stripe.
Leilani Padilla led the Pirates with 13 points, while Sunshine Vicente had 11. Kuutuuq Danner had 10 rebounds, while Kameron Bowen had seven boards.
Peninsula (1-3, 8-8) will next play Whatcom (1-3, 9-7) at home at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Olympic 47, Peninsula 45
PC 9 10 12 14 — 45
Oly. 9 6 15 17 — 47
Peninsula (45) — Padilla 13, Vicente 11, Danner 5, Luke 5, Bowen 5, Sharp 2, White 2, McCaulley 2.
Olympic (47) — Monson 15, Campana 13, Gordon 11, Blake 4, Simonson 2, Alcayaga 2.
