KENNEWICK — Peninsula College couldn’t pull off the Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament upset over a potent Portland squad, 76-49 Wednesday at Columbia Basin College.
Facing the NWAC’s No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the Panthers (96.5 points per game), the Pirates didn’t check any of the boxes needed for a tournament upset.
Peninsula wasn’t patient in its offensive sets to open the game, settling for jump shots early in the shot clock, and didn’t rebound those misses — allowing Portland to force a number of one-and-done Pirate possessions and push the pace and tempo.
Portland outrebounded Peninsula 46-33 and outshot the Pirates 51.7 percent (30-of-58) to 23.7 percent (14-of-59).
Peninsula didn’t shoot well from beyond the arc (4-of-25 16 percent) — and when they did hit 3s, the Panthers displayed a knack for answering with a quick basket at the other end.
The Pirates also lost their leading scorer Javon Ervin to foul trouble for chunks of the first half. Ervin was then saddled with his fourth within the first minute of the second half.
Ervin led Peninsula with 12 points, while Ese Onakpoma added 11 and Aiden Olmstead 10 points and seven rebounds.
Down 17-10 midway through the first half, Peninsula allowed Portland to go on a 15-3 run over four minutes of clock and take a 32-13 lead with 5:36 to go in the half.
Peninsula got back within single digits at 34-25 early in the second half, but Portland heated up from outside and the Panthers grew their lead down the stretch.
Foul trouble limited Portland’s South Region MVP Jahvari Martino, who finished with three points. But Peninsula struggled to contain Kyle Gruhler who knocked down 6-of-11 3-point shots and finished with a game-high 30 points.
The Pirates wrapped the 2023-24 season with a 15-15 record under first-year head coach Bryce Jacobson. Jacobson, a former Peninsula player, was hired in July to take over for Donald Rollman, who moved on to an assistant coaching position with Seattle Pacific University.
Portland 76, Peninsula 49
Peninsula 22 27 — 49
Portland 34 42 — 76
Peninsula (49) — Ervin 12, Onakpoma 11, Olmstead 10, Odingo 7, Odum 4, Dunning 3, Rushmeyer 2.
Portland (76) — Gruhler 30, Rose 20, McGrail 6,Hopson 5, Essien 4, Hodges 4, Martino 3, Lincoln 2.
