PORT ANGELES — Besides diamonds, pressure also creates transition baskets.
The Peninsula women’s basketball team’s 1-2-2 zone press defense hounded Olympic into 29 turnovers as the Pirates (4-0, 10-4) steadily pulled away for an 87-63 victory Wednesday.
“We didn’t have our best game, but we worked hard to create an advantage with the press,” Peninsula coach Alison Crumb said.
“We just have players that are willing to go out and work on every possession and do what’s necessary to win.”
Madison Pilster and Imani Smith proved tough to handle in the middle of that zone pressure, with each playing the passing lanes to rack up three first-half steals, apiece.
When the Rangers were able to navigate the Pirates’ pressure in the backcourt, solid shooting helped keep them in the contest.
Olympic shot 50 percent from the floor, including 3 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line, in the first half.
This hot shooting trimmed Peninsula’s lead from 40-24 with three minutes until intermission to 42-33 at half.
“They are a scrappy team,” Crumb said.
“They protect the basket well, and shot it well from outside, but we had players weather the storm and make rotations to push the lead back up,” Crumb said.
Using a man-to-man defense to open the second half, the Pirates allowed scores from Port Angeles products Macy Walker and Mariah Frazier.
Frazier led the Rangers with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Walker, hampered by foul trouble which forced her from the game with 9:49 to go, added six points and three assists.
Two long 2-point shots from Amanda Carper and Haley Chaney pushed Olympic to within 51-46 with 13:47 to play.
They also resulted in a switch back into that pressure-packed zone defense for the Pirates.
That decision proved to be the ballgame.
With Peninsula pouring on the pressure, the Pirates went on a 30-11 run over 10:07 of the second half to take an 81-57 lead with 3:40 to go.
“We’re really, really good in that zone, and I probably should have started out the second half in it,” Crumb said.
“But sometimes it takes our kids a little while to warm up after a long break so we were in man to start and they came close.
“We just wanted to go back to what got us success in the first place and we got a steal and some free throws and it turned into a game changer for us.”
The run included some terrific ball movement, with post Gabi Fenumiai running the floor after securing a rebound and sending home a layup after a well-slotted dish from Pilster.
Later after Smith blocked a shot and started a fast break, she rewarded Pilster with the extra pass through the teeth of the Rangers’ defense for another layup.
“We have so many players with skill and talent on this team and what makes them special is their selflessness,” Crumb said.
“Everybody in that locker room is focused on our team’s success.”
The victory sets up a clash for first place in the Northwest Athletic Conference North Division at home Saturday at 5 p.m. against Bellevue (4-0, 13-6).
“Bellevue’s strength is actually our weakness, it’s their size,” Crumb said.
“They are a very good half-court team offensively and run a controlled offense.”
Defensively, the Bulldogs play a physical man-to-man defense
“They pack it in on defense,” Crumb said.
“We have to fight through that and get out in transition.
“I hope our guards can handle their stronger interior play, sometimes we get a little fearful of heading inside, and we can’t have that.”
Peninsula 87, Olympic 63
Olympic 16 6 11 10— 63
Peninsula 12 8 4 10— 87
Individual scoring
Olympic (63)
Frazier 14, Fontes 12, Davies 9, Carper 7, Chaney 7, Walker 6, Gordon 6, Harps 2.
Peninsula (87)
Pilster 19, Smith 17, Schmillen 12, Fenumiai 11, Ci. Moss 7, Staveland 5, Ch. Moss 4, Laster 4, Gonzales 4, Nemelka 2, Hutchins 2, Santiago. ________
Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.
