The Peninsula College men’s basketball team took a thumping in the first round of the NWAACC Tournament, losing to Tacoma Community College 75-49 Saturday.
“We simply didn’t perform well today,” Pirates coach Peter Stewart said.
Tacoma came in as the top seed from the West Division of the NWAACC, while Peninsula was the fourth seed from the North.
Tacoma led the game 44-22 at the half and had three players with double-digit scoring on the night.
The Pirates’ cold shooting spanned the entire game as they were just 14-of-50 from the field and 0-for-10 from 3-point range.
The Titans shot more than 53 percent for the game, led by Western Region all-star Darious Walker with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Fellow Titan all-star Chris Holmes added 14.
“We got beat by a much better team,” Stewart added.
Northern Region all-star Jason Gamblin led Peninsula’s scoring, sinking 12 while grabbing six rebounds.
Trevant Musgrow scored 10 and Jordan Collins added eight while hauling down 11 boards.
The Pirates were nearly even with Tacoma in the rebounding battle, with the final tally 38-39.
Pirates all-star Ryan Rutherford, the team’s leading scorer during the course of the season, could only manage nine points as the Titans held him to just 2-of-5 field goals.
The championship tournament is a double-elimination event, leaving the Pirates with at least one more game to play.
“We have to regroup and get back at it in the morning,” Stewart said.
Peninsula is scheduled to play Big Bend Community College at 10 a.m. today at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
If the Pirates can win out in the consolation bracket, they would still come home with a fifth-place finish at the tournament.
Tacoma 75, Peninsula 45
Peninsula 22 27 — 49
Tacoma 44 31 — 75
Individual Scoring
Peninsula (49)
Gamblin 12, Musgrow 10, Rutherford 9, Collins 8, Manzanza 4, Rawls 3, Jacobson 2, Jackson 1, Worley 1.
Tacoma (75)
Walker 20, Holmes 14, Enriquez 13, Davis 8, Coby 6, Hill 4, Wilson 4, Johnson 2, Peters 2, Rasmussen 2.