EVERETT — The Peninsula College men withstood a 14-2 South Puget Sound run in the second half, hitting critical free throws down the stretch to beat the Clippers 69-59 Sunday to move on to the Final Four of the NWAC Tournament.
Colby Jackson led the way in a balanced Pirates’ attack, scoring 19 points and seven assists. Four of those points came on 4 of 4 free throws in the final minute of the game. Trent Warren scored 16 points, including 5 of 6 free throws (and 3 of 4 in the final minute).
“We took a couple of years hiatus (from the Final Four). It’s good to be back,” said coach Mitch Freeman.
“We definitely played our hearts out,” he said.
Freeman called it a defensive battle. The Pirates’ defense held the Clippers to just 31.3 shooting for the game while the Pirates had to do much of their damage inside, only shooting 29 percent from 3-point range.
“We couldn’t get a lot going in the second half. But big credit for that goes to South Puget Sound,” Freeman said.
The Pirates dominated the Clippers in the first half, taking a 38-23 lead into the break, but South Puget Sound, the top seed in the Pirates’ bracket, showed why they are the No. 5-ranked team in the NWAC.
The Pirates still had a comfortable lead at 47-34 when the Clippers went on a 14-2 run to make the score 49-48.
“We took it on the chin, but we withstood that run,” Freeman said.
Peninsula responded to the onslaught, going on a 7-0 run sparked by an Eli’sha Sheppard 3-point bucket with just over 10 minutes to play. Freeman said that was the second game in a row that Sheppard made a huge 3-pointer.
Six-foot-10 Marky Adams had the first of two crucial second-half blocks and Cameron Burton and Jackson added buckets as the Pirates opened up an 8-point lead at 56-48 with eight minutes to play.
The Clippers were never able to get closer than seven points the rest of the way.
South Puget’s Hunter Sipe made a 3-pointer — one of five treys he made in the game — with 1:19 left to make it 62-54 for Peninsula. From that point on, the Clippers were forced to foul and Jackson and Warren sealed the game with seven straight free throws.
Warren added nine rebounds. Sheppard had 11 points, while Adams had eight points, six boards and three blocks. James Buckley came off the bench and added an important seven points and seven rebounds.
The Pirates’ defense held the Clippers to just 31.3 percent shooting for the game.
Peninsula (21-10) now plays in the NWAC semifinal at 2 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Walla Walla and Linn-Benton, who played late Sunday after press deadline. Walla Walla is the No. 3 ranked team in the NWAC, but South Puget Sound was ranked No. 5, so the Pirates, who are unranked, know how to play giant-killer.
Peninsula 69, South Puget Sound 59
PC 38 31 — 69
SPS 23 25 — 59
Peninsula (69) — Jackson 19, Warren 16, Sheppard 11, Adams 8, Buckley 7, Burton 4, Huish 3, Crane 1.
S. Puget Sound (59) — Sipe 22, Moore 13, Malloy 8, Reitman 5, Poquette 4, Warren 3, Reynolds 2, Black 1, Dick 1.
Peninsula’s Trent Warren (12) goes up for a shot against South Puget Sound on Sunday. Warren ended the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. (Rick Ross)
