By Pierre LaBossiere
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Five members of the Peninsula men and women’s basketball teams received Northwest Athletic Conference All-Region North honors, while four players made the NWAC’s All-Academic Team.
Peninsula’s Jenise McKnight, Alicia Dugan and Tai Thomas received Northwest Athletic Conference All-Region women’s honors, while for the men, Darrion Daniels and Jalon McCullough earned All-Region recognition.
Dugan, Thomas and Cami Butler made the women’s All-Academic team, while Alex Baham for the men made All-Academic.
McKnight, a sophomore from Las Vegas, was named to the North Region’s First Team. She is averaging 12.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Dugan, a sophomore from Renton who led the Pirates in scoring with 14 points per game and in steals with 2.33 per game, was named to the North Second Team. Tai Thomas, a sophomore from Honolulu, Hawaii, was named to the North Region All-Defensive Team.
“Jenise, Alicia, and Tai have worked hard all year and have been our team captains throughout the season as well,” said Peninsula coach Allison Crumb.
“Alicia has really come alive offensively in the second half of the season and is such a motor player. She just goes, goes, goes and eventually she will get something for us, whether it be a three, a steal and a layup, or a couple shots at the free throw line.
“Jenise is probably the most versatile and athletic forward/post in the league. She moves well and can beat people from beyond the arc, in the paint, or in the open floor. She has a great jumper and a very quick first step. There have been very few teams that have a defender that can handle the workload of Jenise.”
“Tai is our most consistent player. She takes shots when she is open, and is always a factor on the boards. She moves well defensively for her size, and is usually tasked with guarding the best player on the other team. She has been very stable for our team and we hope she continues to be that constant force at the NWAC tournament,” Crumb said.
Crumb also praised their work in the classroom.
“Our team works hard in the classroom and Alicia, Tai, and Cami are a prime example of what a student-first athlete should be,” she said. “I can’t wait to see where their academic futures take them.”
Men’s honors
McCullough, a redshirt freshman from Fairbanks, Alaska, was named NWAC North Region Freshman of the Year. He also earned a spot on the North’s First Team. He was the second-leading scorer for the Pirates, averaging 11.9 points per game, and also second in assists with 3.7 per game. He also shot 44 prcent from 3-point range, which was among the top 10 in the NWAC.
He has been coming on espcially strong late, averaging 17.8 points a game over his past six games.
Daniels, a sophomore from Las Vegas, was also named to the North Region First Team. He led Peninsula in scoring with 16.8 points and 3.9 assists per game, and was second with 5.3 rebounds per game.
“Both Darrion and Jalon are big reason that our team has been able win 18-plus games for the past two years,” said coach Mitch Freeman. “They have bright futures at the next level and we are excited they have been a part of the PC Family.”
Freeman went on to say that Daniels made an immediate impact on the program when he came to Peninsula last year.
“Darrion has been a big part of the program from the day that he arrived on campus, two years ago,” he said. “He has worked hard for all the success he has had has a player. We are excited for Darrion and his family and look forward to following his success!”
McCullough redshirted the 2015-16 season and emerged as a force in 2016-17.
“Jalon redshirted last year and all the work he put in has paid off,” Freeman said. “As a player and leader of this year’s team, he has gotten better as the year went along. He has won at every level he has been and I expect him to do the same at his next stop.”
Alex Baham, a sophomore sharpshooter from Wasilla, Alaska, was named to the North Region All-Academic Team.
“Alex has had a big sophomore year both on the court and in the classroom,” Freeman said. “Alex is committed to being a great student-athlete and he has proven that for the past two years.”
