Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — The first game of the 2016 First Federal Pirate Classic matched the Pirates, who placed second in the Northwest Athletic Conference, against the Wenatchee Valley Knights, who took home a third-place NWAC trophy last March — and this one was all Peninsula.
In their 2016-17 home debut, the Pirates, behind a swarming and stifling defense, crushed Wenatchee 79-22. The Pirates roared out to a 23-7 first-quarter lead and never let off the gas, rolling to a dominating 40-9 advantage at halftime and a 65-13 lead after three quarters.
Head coach Alison Crumb played her bench liberally throughout the contest, but her Pirates (2-2) were just too much for the Knights, who shot just 18 percent for the game (9-for-49). Wenatchee came into the game 2-1.
Jenise McKnight led the Pirates with 19 points and nine rebounds in only 18 minutes of action. Alicia Dugan hit for 17 points, Anaya Rodisha added 11 points and six rebounds, Hannah Geberyesus was three-for-five from three-point range to score nine and Tiffani Smith chipped in eight.
After struggling with their outside shooting early in the season, the Pirates shot 13-for-27 from 3-point range (48 percent) against Wenatchee.
The win was a big one for a Pirate team that reloaded after back-to-back region championships — and against a team that has gone toe-to-toe with Peninsula over the last few years.
Wenatchee went 27-6 last year and beat the Pirates in their only meeting 77-64, back on Dec. 6 of 2015 at Wenatchee.
Peninsula will see its next action against Centralia at 1 p.m. today in game six of the First Federal Pirate Classic.
Peninsula 79, Wenatchee 22
Wenatchee 7 2 4 9— 22
Peninsula 23 17 25 14— 79
Wenatchee (22) — Lee 5, Faulkner 4, Malohi 4, Shapp 4, Swan 2, Kisler 2, Ingraham 1
Peninsula (79) — McKnight 19, Dugan 17, Rodisha 11, Geberyesus 9, Smith 8, Yayouss 6, Alvarez 4, Barnes 3, Rodriguez 2, Butler,
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Peninsula’s Jenise McKnight drives to the lane surrounded by Wenatchee defenders during Friday night’s first round of the First Federal Pirate Classic in Port Angeles.
