BELLEVUE — The Peninsula College men’s basketball team is undefeated when it counts.
The Pirates scored their second straight victory to begin the NWAACC North Division schedule, upsetting sixth-ranked Bellevue 93-70 on Wednesday night.
Jason Gamblin had 18 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, Chimacum alum Colton Worley added a career high 18 points, and Jeremiah Johnson and Ryan Rutherford scored 16 apiece as Peninsula rode a 55-34 second-half surge to the win.
“We got to exhale and say everybody is 0-0 [after the preseason games],” Pirates coach Peter Stewart said.
“I think the guys said ‘That’s pretty cool.’ You could see the weight of the preseason lifted off them.”
That seems to be the case on the offensive end more than anything.
Peninsula (2-0 in North, 5-6 overall) has scored 198 points combined in its last two games, both division victories.
But instead of an insane shooting night from Rutherford — who scored 41 in Saturday’s win — carrying the day, it was a collective effort that made the difference against Bellevue (1-1, 8-3) on Wednesday.
Peninsula totaled 26 assists on the game and hit 50 percent of its shots (35-of-70), with 10 of the 11 Pirates in uniform scoring.
The Pirates also out-rebounded the Bulldogs 47-34 on the glass.
“I just think winning helps a lot of things,” Stewart said. “But I think there’s some chemistry and some understanding [building].”
The Pirates will need that on Saturday when they host first-place Skagit Valley (2-0, 8-3) on Saturday.
“The North is tough this year,” Stewart said. “It is really going to be a dog fight.”
Peninsula 93, Bellevue 70
Peninsula 38 55 — 93
Bellevue 36 34 — 70
Individual Scoring
Peninsula (93)
Manzanza 5, Musgrow 9, Rutherford 16, Rawls 3, Jacobson 2, Johnson 16, Gamblin 18, Patten 2, Worley 18, Collins 4.
Bellevue (70)
Maddock 20, Starr 2, Lapasin 13, Tibbs 4, Valentine 12, Schwelkart 2, Clarington 9, Suther 8.
