BY OLY ARCHIBALD

PORT ANGELES — It’s Sophomore Night at Peninsula College tonight, and it’s a playoff game for the Pirate men.

The doubleheader against Shoreline tips off with the men at 5:00 PM and the women at 7:00 PM.

A Pirate men’s win will clinch the fourth and final NWAC tournament spot. The Pirates (7-6, 13-13) lost their first meeting at Shoreline 80-77. They led by 12 points with 8:42 left in the game, but the Dolphins (6-7, 10-14) came back for the win. Shoreline outrebounded Peninsula 38-29 and dominated in the paint, outscoring the Pirates 54-28.

Isaiah Lopez led the Pirates with 26 points, while Jaiden Blackmon added 18.

A Pirate victory tonight would send them to the NWAC Tournament on Friday, March 7, at Columbia Basin College. The Pirates would tip off at 6:00 PM, likely against the West #1 seed, second-ranked South Puget Sound.

Tonight’s game will be the final home appearance for sophomores DeShawn Rushmeyer, Antonio Odum, and Albin Rosenlund.

Pirate 3-point specialist Albin Rosenlund, from Norrköping, Sweden, will play his final home game tonight as a Pirate.

—

The third-ranked Peninsula Pirate women (13-0, 21-2) have won 20 consecutive games. Even more impressive, they have won 39 straight Northern Conference games. Their last conference loss was January 14, 2023, at Shoreline (65-55).

In their first meeting this season, the Pirates defeated Shoreline (2-11, 4-22) 59-35. Ciera Agasiva and Jelissa Julmist led the way with 13 points each.

The Pirates will travel to Columbia Basin College for the NWAC Tournament, tipping off at noon on March 5 against the #4 seed from the Southern Conference, likely 19-9 Chemeketa.

Tonight will also be the final home game for five talented sophomores: Ciera Agasiva, Shania Moanunu, Lexie Mackey, Jelissa Julmist, and Kadie Wood.

Former Sequim Wolf Jelissa Julmist, who led Sequim to a 4th-place finish at the state tournament in her senior year, has had an outstanding two seasons with the Pirates.

Tonight’s games will be broadcast live on KONP Newsradio with the Les Schwab Tires Pre-Game Show beginning at 4:45 PM. Oly Archibald and Joe Gladfelter will have the play-by-play.

—

The high school Sweet 16 Regionals tip off Friday night, featuring the #9 seed Sequim boys against #16 seed Lindbergh (Renton) at 6:00 PM at the UPS Fieldhouse. The Wolves defeated Lindbergh by 19 points in their first matchup earlier this season in Sequim. A full scouting report on the matchup will be available tomorrow.

The #10 seed Port Angeles girls take on the #15 seed Cedarcrest Red Wolves on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM at the UPS Fieldhouse.

Roughrider junior Teanna Clark, seen snacking on the former Mount Tahoma net and clutching the District 3 championship trophy, had an outstanding district tournament. Clark and her Roughriders face Cedarcrest on Saturday morning with a trip to Yakima on the line.

Both games will be broadcast live on KONP Newsradio.