By Eric Trent
Character and teamwork triumphs over talent.
This couldn’t have been more apparent Thursday morning, March 10, as the Peninsula women’s basketball team held off a vicious comeback attempt from the Umpqua Riverhawks to take a 70-67 quarterfinal win in the Northwest Athletic Championships in Everett.
Peninsula Sophomore Guard Imani Smith secured a steal with 1.8 seconds left, drew the foul, and hit one free-throw, giving Peninsula a 70-67 cushion, and preventing Umpqua from even getting off a desperation heave.
“I’m excited,” Peninsula Head Coach Ali Crumb said. “Because this group has had it a lot harder than last year.”
“For them to come together and play the way that they do together, and care about each other the way that they do,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’ve never seen a team that’s so diverse, from so many different places and had a target on their back, from day one, be able to come together, and not point fingers, and just say, ‘it’s us against everybody else. And that’s how we’re going to approach this year.
“It wasn’t like that last year. We didn’t feel like we were the hunted. We were doing the hunting.
“They pulled together instead of pulling apart, and I’m just so proud of them, because it’s a lot harder being the hunted than being the hunter.”
Peninsula faces the winner of Lower Columbia and Spokane on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Everett.
The Pirates forced South Region defensive MVP Anna Mumm into early foul trouble, sending Mumm to the bench for most of the first-half.
“Coach told us to play confident,” Sophomore Forward Zhara Laster said. “Be strong, try to work it inside and try to get Anna (Mumm) in foul trouble.”
“We knew they weren’t going to play Mumm the 2nd quarter,” Crumb said. “And we had to capitalize on that.”
Peninsula certainly did, by building a 39-32 lead going into the break.
“Getting that lead gave us a boost of confidence we needed,” Smith said. “We knew we weren’t going to have the lead for a long time, because they’re fighters, just like we are.”
Laster added, “It just gave us a little bit of a cushion. It made us think we’re down by 10 points, instead of up by 7.”
Knowing Mumm was going to be back for the second half, “we gotta go in like we’re down by 15,” Crumb said.
Coming out of the locker room, both teams connected on a barrage of 3s, in an attempt to take control of the second half.
Umpqua’s Sawyer Kluge started off with a 3, followed by two treys from Cherish Moss, giving Peninsula a 47-35 lead with less than 3 minutes expired.
Imani Smith followed up with a 3 of her own, before Anna Mumm scored 7-straight points, pulling Umpqua within 6 with 5:20 left in the third quarter.
Umpqua started the 4th quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 66-62 lead with 4:57 remaining, their first lead of the 2nd half.
“We knew they weren’t going to stop,” Smith said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight.”
It was time for character and teamwork to kick in. It was nitty-gritty time, and whoever had the most guts was walking out of here with a win.
Peninsula answered.
Breaking off an 8-0 run to end the game, Peninsula stood up and challenged adversity.
“That’s the kind of team we are,” Smith said. “We boost each other up.”
Smith quelled the Riverhawks tide of momentum by draining a heavily contested layup, followed by another layup by Anaya Rodisha, tying the game up at 66.
Daijhan Cooks hit a free-throw with 3:26 left to give Peninsula a one-point advantage.
Smith dropped in another layup with 2:49 to go, bringing Peninsula’s lead to 3.
Umpqua’s Syd Clark was fouled going for a layup, and hit only 1 free-throw, keeping Peninsula’s lead at two with 1:08 to go.
After a missed Pirate shot, Mumm got fouled inside and missed both her free-throws.
Smith dove for the ball and snatched it away from an Umpqua player with 1.8 seconds left and was fouled. Smith hit one free-throw, increasing Peninsula’s lead to 3.
Smith missed her 2nd, and Umpqua didn’t have enough time to even get a desperation shot off, securing Peninsula’s 70-67 quarterfinal win in the NWAC Championships.
The Pirates character, toughness and teamwork prevailed.
“That’s what I’m so proud of,” Crumb said. “Winning that column of the stat sheet. The stuff that doesn’t show up, that we do every day.”
“This team is gutsy. It takes some guts to go out there and win a game, in this type of pressure situation, against such a talented team,” she said.
“That’s what I like about this team. They’re not afraid to go out and win a game.”
Smith added, “It’s such a good feeling to have. I’d rather have these girls behind me that I have right now, than any other roster.”
Smith led Peninsula with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals. Laster was a force on the defensive end, pulling down 14 boards and pilfering 3 steals.
Peninsula plays the winner of Spokane and Lower Columbia at 2 p.m. in Everett, in a semi-final matchup.
