Mostly healthy and at mostly full-strength, the Pirates can play with nearly anyone in this division.
Peninsula showed that last week in a pair of defeats to NWAACC North division foes.
The Pirates (2-11 in conference play, 3-18 overall) dropped a 50-46 decision to Seattle on Feb. 10 and a 67-59 contest to Whatcom three days later.
Both Seattle and Whatcom are fighting for playoff berths.
Against Whatcom’s Orcas, Peninsula got 16 points and seven rebounds from Brianna DeSantis. But led by Taria Cicchitti (18 points, 11 rebounds), the visiting Whatcom squad built an eight-point lead by halftime and made it stick.
The game was an improvement compared to the last time the teams played, when Whatcom drubbed Peninsula by 18 points in Mount Vernon.
Three other Pirates managed double figures: Dena Houser (13), Blair Musgrove (11) and Danika Goodwin (10). Emily Garner had four steals.
Seattle edges
Peninsula
The Pirates got 15 points from DeSantis and 11 points from Goodwin, but behind Nicole Buhl’s 16 points the host Storm had just enough energy at the end to pull out a four-point victory.
The Pirates got solid defense all game long, holding Seattle to 38-percent shooting and just two three-pointers.
But Peninsula could manage to hit only a third of their shots from the field and hit just three second-half free throws.
DeSantis led P.C. with 10 rebounds while Houser added nine points and a game-high six assists.
Buhl had nine rebounds and a pair of blocks to lead the Storm. The teams were tied at 28-28 at halftime.
NWAACC North standings
Team Conf. Over.
Skagit Vly. 12-1 18-4
Bellevue 10-2 15-7
Everett 10-3 14-8
Seattle 7-6 8-13
Edmonds 6-6 8-12
Whatcom 6-6 6-11
Olympic 2-10 3-13
Peninsula 2-11 3-18
Shoreline 1-11 2-18
