By Oly Archibald
YAKIMA — It’s a big day for the Port Angeles girls basketball team as they tip off against Archbishop Murphy at 12:15 in the Class 2A State Tournament in Yakima.
Meanwhile, the Peninsula College men’s basketball team continues its Cinderella season. The Pirates, now 7–22 overall and 6–8 in conference play, take on Eastern Conference champion Treasure Valley, 16–9 overall and 13–1 in conference, at the NWAC Tournament in Pasco. Tipoff is set for 2:00.
The Chuckers from Ontario, Oregon have won nine of their last ten games. Treasure Valley averages 86 points per game but also gives up about 82 points per contest.
The Chuckers are led by 6-foot-3 sophomore shooting guard Jeremiah Williams, who averages 20 points per game. Five-foot-10 sophomore point guard Eddie Rodriguez adds 14 points per game.
The Pirates will need big performances from their frontcourt. Power forward Parker Lambert, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Middleton, Idaho, averages 10 points and five rebounds per game.
Peninsula freshman Parker Lambert will need a big game against Treasure Valley in today’s NWAC Tournament matchup.
Six-foot-10 freshman post Titus Driver from Rigby, Idaho averages six points and six rebounds per game and has improved greatly throughout the season.
A Pirate upset win would move Peninsula into an Elite Eight matchup Thursday at 2:00 against the winner of the Lower Columbia College–Clark College game.
The Port Angeles girls have already reached their goal of qualifying for the state tournament.
Now the question is whether they can upset one of the top five teams in the state — led by one of the top players in Washington.
The Roughriders’ last win in Yakima was a 68–54 victory over Clarkston in the 2020 state tournament. Port Angeles has not brought home a state trophy since the 2001 season, when the Roughriders finished fifth.
The five Roughrider seniors have compiled a 66–30 varsity record over their four-year careers.
Port Angeles senior Kenzie Moses, speaking on the KONP postgame show, is one of five Roughrider seniors who helped lead the team to a 66–30 varsity record over the past five seasons.
Today’s game tips off at 12:15 and will be broadcast live on KONP Newsradio, with the pregame show beginning at noon.
Oly Archibald, Greg Thomas and Dustin Clark will have the call.
Port Angeles senior Lindsay Smith, wearing her sportsmanship medallion from the Renton game, will need help on the boards against an athletic Archbishop Murphy front line.