PORT ANGELES — Playing in their coach’s old high school gym, the Peninsula College women’s basketball got off to a scorching 29-6 start, stumbled slightly in the second quarter, then went on another ferocious 27-8 run in the second half to blow out Shoreline 83-44.
Jenise McKnight had a double-double for the Pirates, scoring 23 points while grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out five assists. It was McKnight’s sixth double-double of the season and her fifth straight game scoring in double figures.
“Our team had good chemistry,” McKnight said. She said her teammates did a good job of setting her up for points, and that whenever a teammate gets hot, everyone works to set them up.
The win was the ninth out of 10 for the Pirates. It also keeps Peninsula (7-1, 15-6) tied with Bellevue for first place in the NWAC North Division.
The Pirates completely dominated on the boards, grabbing 71 rebounds versus 38 for the much smaller Dolphins. On one possession alone, the Pirates got seven or eight offensive rebounds which eventually led to a foul on McKnight and free throws.
Wednesday’s game was played at Port Angeles High School because of a water main break that cut off water service to Peninsula College. Coach Allison Crumb played her high school ball at Port Angeles High and her assistant Mike Knowles was her head coach at Port Angeles, so it was a bit of a homecoming for both of them.
Crumb said McKnight’s numbers were even more impressive considering she played just 19 minutes.
In a full game, she likely would have gone for 30 points and 20 boards, she said.
“That’s the kind of player she’s capable of being,” she said.
Crumb liked how her team came out early.
“We got a jump on them. The starters played well, we were really aggressive,” she said.
Peninsula eventually built its lead up to 38-11. Crumb thought the team got a bit sloppy in the second quarter in which Shoreline outscored the Pirates 17-15.
“It’s hard to maintain that kind of energy, you’re not going to win every quarter 29-6,” Crumb said. But, she said the team needed to be more consistent and to avoid turnovers.
Shoreline somewhat scratched back into the game, making it 44-23 at the half.
But, the Dolphins were never able to cut the lead to less than 20. Another huge 27-8 run by the Pirates in the third quarter and early fourth snuffed any comeback thoughts, putting the game away for good at 76-34 as the bench players took over for much of the fourth quarter.
Anaya Rodisha had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Sephora Yayouss had 13 points, four boards and four assists, and Taisha Thomas had eight points and 12 rebounds. Yamelei Rodriguez added nine points and Alicia Dugan eight.
Interestingly, despite the slightly closer 3-point line in the high school gym, neither team shot that well from 3-point range. They combined to shoot 9-for-46 from beyond the arc.
Peninsula next plays Everett at home at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Peninsula 83, Shoreline 44
Shoreline 6 17 11 10— 44
Peninsula 29 15 27 12— 83
Shoreline (44) — Jones-Lee 13, Carpenter 6, Woods 6, Williams 5, Hayes 3, Keilani 3, Moore 2, Sanders 2, McMillion 2, Alem 2. McKnight 23, Rodisha 14, Yayouss 13, Rodriguez 9, Dugan 8, Thomas 8, Geberyesus 3, Smith 2, Barnes 2, Alvarez 1.
Peninsula (83) — McKnight 23, Rodisha 14, Yayouss 13, Rodriguez 9, Dugan 8, Thomas 8, Geberyesus 3, Smith 2, Barnes 2, Alvarez 1.
________
Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
