by RYAN HUETER

The Buccaneer

Peninsula Collegee

With their playoff hopes long since extinguished, the Pirates closed out the 2011 campaign on a sour note, losing the final two games in a disappointing season.

The Peninsula College women’s basketball team never found an offensive rhythm; they crumbled against the Everett Trojans, 90-53, on Feb. 21 and fell to the Shoreline Dolphins, 74-53, on Feb. 27.

“You’ve got to find a way to know how to win,” Peninsula coach Alison Crumb said following the loss to Everett. “We tighten up when we start to get close. It should be the other way around.”  

The Trojans (11-5 in division, 15-10 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 (2-14 in division, 5-20 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 their advantage, leading by 14 at halftime and  by 20 less than three minutes into the second half.

Distancing themselves from the Pirates almost at will, the Trojans never were challenged in the final frame as they shot 66 percent from the field.

Pirates fall in finale

Peninsula was handicapped by a poor first half shooting performance and dropped the final game of the season to the Shoreline Dolphins, 74-53, on Feb. 27.  

The Pirates netted just five of their 32 field-goal attempts in the first half but managed to stay within striking distance of Shoreline.

The Dolphins (3-13, 7-17 overall) struggled to put the ball through the hoop in the opening period as well, connecting on just 24 percent of their field-goal tries.

Shoreline, though, stretched their 14-point halftime lead, 29-15, in the second half by utilizing Peninsula’s 19 turnovers and the Dolphins’ ability to chase down rebounds.

Despite the Pirates’ resurgent offense of 41 percent shooting in the second stanza, Shoreline widened the gap, cruising to an easy win on their 62-41 rebounding edge and 20 points off Peninsula turnovers.

In her final game in the black and gold, Goodwin led the Pirates with 19 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Jasmine Jackson added 11 points.  

Gnanamani Hooyman paced the Dolphins, sinking 22 points and collecting seven rebounds. Kylie Williams followed with 21 points and 10 boards.  

Crumb sees hope on the horizon

Though the season hardly met expectations, Crumb knows there is reason to be optimistic for next year.

Six freshmen averaged 22.3 minutes per game this season, including three who logged more than 28 minutes per contest.  

“It will be huge for us next year to be able to have freshmen who played a lot of minutes,” Crumb said.

Reach Ryan Hueter at news@sequimgazette.com.