by MICHAEL DASHIELL

Sequim Gazette

The Lance Von Vogt era at Peninsula College is off to a tantalizing but winless beginning.

Second-year coach Ali Crumb is looking for her Pirates to thaw out their shooting after a chilly start at the Igloo Invitational.

Peninsula College’s basketball squads kicked off their seasons at a pair of invitationals last week in Longview and Vancouver, Wash. The P.C. men dropped a pair of games by a combined eight points at the Lower Columbia College Tournament while the Pirate women went 1-2 — their lone win a comeback effort against a Clark alumni squad — at the Igloo Invitational.

The Pirate men are back in action at home on Dec. 4 against Vancouver Island University in a nonconference tilt, while the women are at Lower Columbia the same day.

Red Devils, Lakers edge P.C. men

Von Vogt, the Pirate first-year coach, saw his team edged by host Lower Columbia 69-66 in the tourney opening round on Nov. 26.

The Red Devils jumped to a 26-23 lead and held on in a high-scoring second half for the win.

Peninsula held a brief lead in the second half at 31-30 and the teams battled back and forth until the Red Devils pulled away. Trevant Musgrow, one of five returning Pirates, had a three-pointer to tie at the buzzer that rimmed off.

Djuan Smith led the Pirates with 15 points, Thad Vinson had 14 and Sammeon Waller added 10 points and three steals in the loss. Bryce Jacobson had six points before leaving the game with a broken nose with a couple of minutes remaining.

Jesse Moreland led Lower Columbia with 13 points.

One day later. Southwest Oregon built a 13-point first-half lead and held on for a 74-69 win to bounce Peninsula from the tourney.

Smith led the Pirates again, hitting eight of 10 shots for a team-high 18 points and had four assists.

Musgrow added 12 points and Anthony Williams came off the bench for nine points and 17 rebounds.

P.C women go 1-2 at Igloo

Despite a freshman’s prolific debut, Peninsula opened with a loss in the Igloo Invitational on Nov. 19, not helped by pre-season injuries that have several players on the bench.

Megan Smith, a freshman from Coupeville, hit for 24 points to lead the Pirates, but Peninsula fell to Blue Mountain, 76-49.

The Pirates shot just 20 of 59 from the field (34 percent).

Fellow first-year players Callie Monfrey (11 points, seven rebounds) and Shawna Thein (five assists) helped the P.C. cause.

Stephanie Lopez led Blue Mountain with 17 points and four steals.

Peninsula rebounded from the loss and a 10-point halftime deficit the next day to topple a team of Clark College alumni players, 58-52.

Smith led the team with 19 points while Thein added 18 points and five assists.

NWAAC North Division rival Olympic knocked off the Pirates on Nov. 21, the tourney’s final day, getting 14 points each from Sam Gulisaow and Irene Moore.

Monfrey led Peninsula with 16 points and 17 rebounds.

The Pirates could not overcome dreadful shooting — 15 of 69 (22 percent) — or their 34 turnovers.

Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.