The run, alas, is over.
After five consecutive seasons of being one of the North Division’s top contenders and taking on the best Northwest community colleges, Peninsula’s Pirates are staying home this March.
The Pirates closed out the 2008-2009 season with a 85-74 loss to Edmonds at home, the first time in six years they haven’t ended their season at the NWAACC tournament.
Sophomore Cody Killian scored 24 points and sank six three-pointers – one off the school mark set by Garrett Abbott (1999), Steve Towne (2000) and Mitch Snyder (2003) – but it wasn’t enough to topple the visiting Tritons.
Earle Higgins scored 27 points as his Edmonds squad took advantage of the Pirates’ primary bugaboo this season: turnovers. The Tritons converted 24 P.C. miscues into 23 points, compared to Peninsula’s eight points off 14 Edmonds errors.
Jesse Bean scored seven points and had team highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six) in his final game as a Pirate. Cody Smithson added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Needing a pair of wins and some help going into last week, the Pirates (7-9 in conference play, 10-17 overall) were eliminated from playoff contention Feb. 25 with a 103-85 thrashing at the hands of host Everett.
The Trojans dominated the first half, 54-28.
Everett guard Chris Grounds did most the damage, erupting for 38 points on 10-of-15 from three-point land and gathering eight steals and eight assists.
The Trojans (7-9, 9-16) scored 39 points off the Pirates’ 27 turnovers.
Killian led P.C. with 25 points and stroked four three-pointers while teammate Chidi Antoinne added 14 points and nine rebounds. Jake Green had 13 points and five blocks.
Bean, the Pirates’ leading scorer, was held in check to the tune of three points on four shots from the field; he did contribute six assists.
Even if the Pirates had won, they needed fourth-place Whatcom to finish the season with a pair of losses. But Whatcom upset Bellevue Wednesday night, making P.C.’s pair of losses moot.
Since the 2002-2003 season, coach Peter Stewart’s first in which Peninsula went 3-21, the Pirates have managed a combined 101-49 record, three division titles and four top-eight finishes at the NWAACC tournament.
Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.
