By Ryan Hueter
The Buccaneer
Peninsula College
The Pirates have trekked through a tough and trying season, and their fortunes have been no better the closer they get to the end of the journey.
The Peninsula College women’s basketball team never found an offensive rhythm and crumbled against the Everett Trojans, 90-53, on Feb. 21.
“You got to find a way to know how to win. We tighten up when we start to get close. It should be the other way around,” Peninsula coach Alison Crumb said.
The Trojans (10-4 in division, 14-9 overall) scored the first 12 points of the game and led by as much as 23 points, 25-2, with 13:07 remaining in the first half.
The Pirates (2-13 in division, 5-19 overall) did not go down without a valiant effort, though. Reeling off a 16-4 run over about seven-and-a-half minutes, Peninsula cut the lead to 11 points, 29-18, with 5:27 to play.
Playing in her final home game, Port Angeles native Danika Goodwin scored eight of her game-high 24 points during that stretch.
Taking advantage of Peninsula’s 25 turnovers to the tune of 32 points, Everett quickly expanded its advantage, leading by 14 at halftime and 20, less than three minutes into the second half.
Distancing themselves from the Pirates almost at will, the Trojans were never challenged in the final frame as they shot 66 percent from the field.
Crumb sees hope on the horizon
Though the season has hardly met expectations, Crumb sees reason to be optimistic for next year.
“It will be huge for us next year to be able to have freshmen who played a lot of minutes,” Crumb said.
Crumb’s six freshmen have played an average of 22.3 minutes per game to this point, including three who have logged more than 28 minutes per game.
Before tip-off of the men’s game, Peninsula’s four sophomores, in addition to the men’s second-year players, were honored for their contribution to the program.
Neomi Carter, Christian Reid, Jasmine Jackson and Goodwin were feted during the ceremony.
Sophs recognized for character
Crumb noted that her graduating players brought more to the team than their on-court efforts.
“On the floor, obviously we got contributions from each of them. Off the floor, they’re all really, really outstanding citizens,” Crumb said. “They brought a huge amount of energy and chemistry to the team that the freshmen really needed.”
“A lot of our freshmen, just as people looked up to the sophomores, how to behave, how to act, what it means to respect one another.”
One of four sophomores playing in their last game before the Port Angeles faithful, Goodwin turned in a stellar performance, leading all scorers, swiping four steals and collecting 17 rebounds, one shy of tying the single-game school record.
“She’s such a competitor. She’s such a threat offensively and defensively,” Crumb said of Goodwin. “She’s involved in every single play offensively and defensively. I don’t think we can replace her as an individual.” Callie Monfrey added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Anna Work led five Trojans in double-figures, tickling the twine for 22 points and dishing out five assists. Rachel Boehme put in 14 points, corralled 11 rebounds and distributed seven assists.
The Pirates finish the season on the road versus the Shoreline Dolphins (2-12 in division, 6-16 overall), against whom the Pirates’ most recent win came, on Sunday, Feb. 27.
