Sequim Gazette staff

The Edmonds Community College gym was anything but friend;y to the Peninsula COllege men’s basketball squad while the Pirate women found success on the road in a pair of NWAACC conference games Wednesday night.

On the women’s side, the Pirates topped the host Tritons 65-52, posting a 36-28 halftime lead and maintaining that lead throughout. Madison Pilster led the team with 18 points and six rebounds while Gabi Fenumiai added 15 points and nine boards. Alison Knowles chipped in 13 points and four assists from Alison Knowles.

In the men’s game, the Pirates managed to hold Edmonds’ Payton Pervier, a 7-footer, to 15 points and 11 rebounds. But a poor shooting evening (27 percent from the field, 0-for-15 from 3-point range) spelled P.C.’s doom. Xavier Bazile led the Pirates with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Geno Horsley had 10 points and Juwan Flowers scored eight.

Both Pirate teams are alive in the race for a top-four finish in the North Region. The top four in each division earn a spot at the 2014 NWAACC Basketball Championships in Kennewick later this month.

The women improved to 5-4 in conference play, tied with Everett for fourth place and one game behind Skagit Valley, 6-3. The Pirate men have a tougher road to Kennewick; with a 4-5 conference mark, Peninsula is tied with Everett for fifth place. Edmonds sits alone in fourth place at 6-3 while Whatcom, Skagit Valley and Bellevue are all 7-2. There are five games remaining in conference play.

Next up for the Pirates is a home doubleheader against Skagit Valley on Saturday. The women tip off at 5 p.m. and the men take on the Cardinals, under head coach Brock Veltri — a member of Peninsula’s 1997-98 and 1998-99 teams — at 7 p.m.