Women’s basketball: PC sweeps Skagit, Olympic to stay in postseason picture

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 28, 2018

North Region standings

Team Rec. Over.

Bellevue 9-2 19-8

Everett 9-3 20-6

Skagit Valley 7-4 13-13

Olympic 5-6 8-14

Peninsula 5-6 7-16

Edmonds 2-9 5-21

Whatcom 2-9 7-17

Needing a big win against a team ahead of them in the standings, Peninsula’s Pirates came up with a clutch win. Three days later, needing another win against an upset-minded Edmonds squad, PC came up big again.

With a sweep of Skagit Valley and Edmonds last week, the Pirates have played into the postseason picture, needing a win against a struggling Whatcom squad on Feb. 28 to force at least an NWAC tourney play-in game against Olympic.

On Feb. 21, Jamellia Clark has 22 points and eight rebounds, and teammates Ashlynn Sharp and Tiffany Smith had 17 points each in as the visiting Pirates upended rival Skagit Valley 78-75 in Mount Vernon.

The host Cardinals held small leads after each quarter — 22-21, 36-34 and 57-53 — before Peninsula edged ahead in the final minutes, out-scoring Skagit 25-18 in the final frame.

Adiya Jones-Smith had 20 points for Skagit in the loss.

Three days later, Peninsula shrugged off a sluggish start to rout the Edmonds Tritons at home, 56-33.

Smith had 14 points and six steals, and Clark added 13 points, seven rebounds and five steals in the victory. Jocelyn Moore chipped in eight points and five rebounds off the bench.

Peninsula, who broke open a tie game with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter, forced 25 Edmonds turnovers.

Zaria Smith was the only Triton in double figures with 16 points.

Clark is now fourth in the NWAC in rebounding with 10.9 boards per contest.

Looking ahead

Peninsula (5-6 in conference play, 7-16 overall) closes out the season with a home game on Feb. 28 against Whatcom. With a win and an Olympic loss — the Rangers play at Bellevue on Feb. 28 — the Pirates win the North Region’s fourth and final seed outright, while a PC loss and Olympic win ends the Pirates’ season.

If the teams remain tied, they’ll play an NWAC tourney play-in game.

The NWAC women’s basketball tournament is slated for March 8-9 and 17-18 in Everett.