MOUNT VERNON – The Skagit Valley College gym is not an easy place to get a road win but the Peninsula women’s basketball team escaped with a 63-59 Northwest Athletic Conference North Division triumph.
With Wednesday’s win, the Pirate women improved to 5-1 in conference play, 11-5 overall, and moved into sole possession of second place, a game behind first-place Bellevue.
The number of Pirate wins at Skagit Valley since the inception of the Peninsula College women’s basketball program in 1997 could be counted on one hand — and this one was very big for head coach Alison Crumb and her Peninsula women as they remained in the hunt for the North Division title.
Sophomore Madison Pilster posted a double-double for the Pirates with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Neah Bay product Cierra Moss added 11 points and six boards, Whitney Nemelka hit a pair of threes and finished with seven points and eight rebounds, and Gabi Fenumiai also pulled down eight rebounds for Peninsula.
Linda Wilson led Skagit Valley with 16.
The Pirates outrebounded the Cardinals 46 to 23 and also had a tremendous night at the free throw line, sinking 21 of 23 for 91 percent.
The Cardinals hit 5 of 7 from the line.
The absence of guard Zhara Laster, who suffered a knee injury against Bellevue last Saturday, was noticeable as the Pirates struggled with turnovers, coughing up the ball 26 times compared to Skagit’s 10, but they managed to hold the Cardinals to just seven points off those turnovers in the victory.
Peninsula 63, Skagit Valley 59
Peninsula 31 32 — 63
Skagit Valley 31 28 — 59
Individual scoring
Peninsula (63)
Pilster 23, Ci. Moss 11, Nemelka 7, Smith 6, Schmillen 5, Ch. Moss 5, Fenumiai 4, Hutchins 2.
Skagit Valley (59)
Wilson 16, Turner 9, Brown 9, Wood 7, Anglim 7, Dorvall 4, Froelich 4, Besand 3, Turrieta, Poradun.
Men’s Basketball
Skagit Valley 63, Peninsula 56
The Pirates couldn’t get to the free-throw line and suffered the consequences in a loss to the Cardinals.
Skagit Valley hit on 16 of 21 from the line, while Peninsula (2-4. 9-9) hit 7 of 11 in the seven-point loss.
The setback leaves the Pirates in fifth place in the North with eight games remaining.
The top four teams qualify for the NWAC Tournament.
Deonte Dixon had the hot hand for Peninsula, putting in 22 points and pulling down five rebounds, but the Cardinals held sharp-shooter Ryley Callaghan to just 1 of 9 shooting from behind the 3-point line, and 11 points on the night.
Jeremiah Hobbs just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Jal Deng also had a good night on the boards with 10.
Vince Payne had 17 and Gerad Davis 14 to lead Skagit Valley.
The Pirates outrebounded the Cardinals 44-29.
The PC women and men travel to Shoreline for a matinee doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Dolphin women currently sit in the North Division cellar at 0-6 and 0-14, while the men are tied for fourth place at 3-3 and 8-11.
Skagit Valley 63, Peninsula 56
Peninsula 24 32 — 56
Skagit Valley 30 33 — 63
Individual scoring
Peninsula (56)
Dixon 22, Hobbs 12, Callaghan 11, Deng 5, Cook 4, Domach 2, Reis, Ironside.
Skagit Valley (63)
Payne 14, Davis 14, D. Jones 10, Novak 7, Diggs 6, Shpreyregin 5, T. Jones 2, Roberts 2, Yaworsky.