PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College men’s basketball team pulled away from Grays Harbor in the final 10 minutes to improve to 3-0 on the season with a 76-64 win over the Chokers in the final game of the First Federal Pirate Classic on Sunday.
Daren Hechanova led Peninsula with 19 points, including two crowd-pleasing dunks, while Erron Shamlin added 11 points and four assists, and Jal Deng celebrated his birthday with an 11-point effort.
The difference in the game came from the free-throw line where the Pirates benefited from 41 free-throw attempts, making 28. Grays Harbor went to the line only 17 times, making 12
From the field, Peninsula was 23 of 57 (40 percent), and only 2 of 12 from 3-point range.
The Chokers (1-3) made 25 of 28 (43 percent) from the floor, including a chilly 2 for 16 from beyond the arc.
The Pirates assisted on just nine of their 23 field goals, but also only turned the ball over eight times.
In three games under new head coach Mitch Freeman, Peninsula has turned the ball over only 21 times.
Next up for the Peninsula men is a home game against the Washington Rampage on Saturday at 7 p.m.
It will be the men’s team’s final home game until Jan. 8, 2014.
The Pirate women, meanwhile, will be busy this weekend after being idle for more than two weeks.
Peninsula (2-2) takes on the Thunderbirds at Highline (4-1) on Thursday at 4 p.m., and then will drive a few miles south to play in the Raider Invitational at Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom from Friday through Sunday, opening against defending NWAACC-champion Lane (6-1) on Friday night.
The Titans defeated the Peninsula 108-69 at the Everett Classic last month.
