Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Despite some uneven play in recent games, Peninsula's Pirates are still in the thick of the playoff hunt.

The Pirates got solid efforts from a pair of sophomores as they slipped past Shoreline 70-66 on the road Saturday night, giving Peninsula sole possession of fourth place.

Jesse Bean scored 23 points and fellow soph Chidi Antoinne added 17 points and 10 rebounds to put Peninsula (5-4 in NWAACC play, 8-12 overall) above the .500 mark in conference action.

Only the top four teams from the NWAACC North Division advance to the postseason tournament.

"We just have to win them all at home and steal a couple of others in between," Peninsula coach Peter Stewart said."

The Pirates take on Bellevue (7-2, 18-4) at home on Feb. 7; game time is 7 p.m. following the women's game.

Sloppy play leads to road loss

Peninsula's men took another dip in their roller coaster-type season Wednesday evening with a 74-63 loss on the road to Edmonds, a team with just one win coming into the contest.

Edwin Dixon came within two rebounds of a triple-double after collecting 20 points, eight rebounds and 11 steals to lead the Tritons.

Bean led Peninsula with 18 points and Colton Worley had his most productive game as a Pirate with 16 points, but the Pirates committed an unsightly 30 turnovers leading to 33 Edmonds points.

"(It's) A Jekyll-and-Hyde type thing - we just need to find the team that wants to play," Stewart said. "We just have to figure it out."

The loss drops Peninsula (4-4 in NWAACC play, 7-12) into a four-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NWAACC North Division.

The Pirates looked primed to roll the 1-10 Tritons coming off a resounding win against Everett at home Jan. 24. But a flurry of miscues - 17 by Bean, Worley and Cody Smithson combined - led to easy Triton baskets and a 34-24 Edmonds halftime lead. Peninsula could get no closer as Edmonds came out with a 10-0 run in the second half to effectively cinch the game.

Smithson had 14 points while Antoinne had four points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Pirates.



NWAACC North

Division standings

Team Conf. Over.

Olympic 8-1 16-2

Bellevue 7-2 18-4

Skagit Vly. 6-3 11-8

Peninsula 5-4 8-12

Seattle 4-4 7-11

Everett 4-5 6-12

Whatcom 4-5 11-8

Edmonds 2-7 2-11

Shoreline 0-9 6-14