By Eric Trent
When facing Ali Crumb’s defense, you’re fighting for every inch of the court on every possession.
And that’s the way it played out for Everett women’s basketball team, Saturday, Jan. 16, in Port Angeles.
The Lady Pirates broke off a 22-9 run to open the first quarter, then rode their stifling, full-court press to a 77-55 win over an Everett team that was previously unbeaten in conference play.
A stark contrast to its previous game against Whatcom, where Peninsula won by 23, but let a one-win Orca Whales team hang around until the 2nd half.
“I think we came out with more energy, and that’s just because our players are competitive and knew we didn’t come out with that fire on Wednesday. They wanted to play with something to prove and to show our fans what we’re about,” Peninsula Head Coach Ali Crumb said.
Point guard Imani Smith added, “That spark came from practice the day before and from coach Crumb. Coach told us that this team is more aggressive and that they had more playmakers than Whatcom. We knew we couldn’t go out thinking that they were just going to give the game to us.”
Cierra Moss drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a 3-point basket by Imani Smith to put Peninsula up 15-2 in the first five minutes.
Everett began finding shots in the 2nd half, going on a 16-13 run to pull within 10 at 35-25.
That’s the closest Everett would get as Peninsula put the clamps down, deploying a vicious full-court attack.
“We never really know how teams are going to respond to it, but I think it helped us take time off the shot clock and not allow them to feel comfortable in the half court.
“We will always use our full press if we feel like we don’t get beat on it, just to disrupt the other team’s offense, which I think happened on Saturday, so we stayed in it,” Crumb said.
The Lady Pirates began working the ball inside, feeding Jenise McKnight who dropped in 8 points during the final 3-minutes of the half.
Peninsula continued doing damage down low in the 3rd quarter, highlighted by a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Zhara Laster who broke through three defenders on her way to the basket.
“We take pride in our defense. Our defense is how we score. Coach Crumb told us that we can’t allow the game to go back and forth,” Smith said.
With 6:41 left in the game, Moss followed up with a turnaround jumper inside the paint to give Peninsula a 27-point lead, it’s largest of the night.
The Lady Pirates put the vice grips on Everett for the remaining 6-minutes, finishing with a 22-point victory, ending the game at 77-55.
“I liked our performance from the offensive side of the ball in comparison to Wednesday. I think we secured the ball better, and didn’t give as many possessions away consecutively, which really disrupts our rhythm.
“So, I think we improved, which is what we want at this point in the season. We still need to do a better job, but we’re getting better,” Crumb said.
Moss finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Zhara Laster had 6 points along with 11 boards and 9 assists.
Lady Pirates are 13-5 (4-1) after a loss to Bellevue on Saturday, and face Shoreline 4-10 (2-3) on Jan. 30, in Port Angeles.