PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College men’s basketball team returned to the court after a holiday break, and missing two of their high-scoring starters Akeem Sulaiman and DeShawn Rushmeyer, lost a pair of high-scoring games at home this weekend.
The Pirates were beaten by South Puget Sound 96-76 on Friday and lost 88-81 on Saturday to Highline.
The Pirates only had seven players available against Highline due to injuries and were heavily outrebounded in both games.
The game was tied at 79-79 with under 3 minutes to play, but Highline was able to pull away by hitting a pair of 3-pointers and shooting 3-for-4 on free throws down the stretch.
Antonio Odum had to play 40 minutes, while Albin Rosenlund, normally a reserve, played 38 and Jaiden Blackmon 37. Blackmon led the team with 27 points, shooting 3-for-5 on his 3-pointers.
Paxton Heitsch scored 15 and Isaiah Shamp (Port Angeles High School) had his best game as a Pirate, shooting 5-for-9 from the floor and scoring 13. Odum scored 10.
Peninsula shot 50 percent from the floor (29-for-58), but was outrebounded 34-19 as Highline got off 69 shots, making 34.
Against South Puget Sound, a 12-4 team, Peninsula hit a total of 14 3-pointers, but the Clippers outrebounded the Pirates 42-27 and as a result, got off 77 shots to Peninsula’s 64.
Blackmon led the team again with 23 points, shooting 3-for-6 on his 3-pointers. Isaiah Lopez shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and scored 18.
Shamp hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored nine points. Rosenlund hit three 3-pointers and also scored nine.
Peninsula (6-7) hopes to get healthy as the Pirates begin North Region play Whatcom (3-12) on Wednesday.
The Peninsula women (8-2), who have had a long break of 24 days without a game, also play at Whatcom (5-8) on Wednesday.
Highline 88, Peninsula 81
High. 48 40 — 88
PC 42 39 — 81
Highline (88) — Donovan 20, Owens 18, Morgan 17, Vargas 9, Sillimon 8, Jackson 5, Aitken 4, Prictor 4, Williams 3.
Peninsula (81) — Blackmon 27, Heitsch 15, Shamp 13, Odum 10, McNeal 7, Rosenlund 6, Allen 3.
S. Puget Sound 96, Peninsula 76
SPS 44 52 — 96
PC 41 35 — 76
S. Puget Sound (96) — Linton 16, Pollard 20, Lawson 15, Lewis 16, Bowden 11, Biebrich 8, Engholm 8, Amrose-Pearce 2.
Peninsula (76) — Blackmon 23, Lopez 18, Shamp 9, Rosenlund 9, Heitsch 7, McNeal 3, Tekeste 3, Allen 2.
