Seahawks Soar Over Hornets in SPSL Showdown

Seahawks Soar Over Hornets in SPSL Showdown
By Steven Dion

The first boys matchup of the ShoWare Shootout featured two South Puget Sound League squads in White River and Peninsula. The Seahawks donned the letters DWWD on the backs of their jersey which according to coach Jack Jackson represents their commitment to “Do What We Do”. This motto carried Peninsula to a 4-2 record heading into their matchup Saturday which was their win total a year ago. However, the Hornets were anxious to go toe-to-toe with their opponent from a high classification to finish strong going in the holiday break.

Nerves appeared to affect both squads early as scoring was minimal and players were reluctant to shoot and create scoring opportunities. After the first frame the Hawks led 8-6. The energy picked up in the second quarter as the McLaughlin brothers JaQuori and O’Shea of Peninsula began to carry the bulk of the Hawks offensive output. The pair scored a combined 33 points on the contest including 10 of 12 from the charity stripe. Despite being undersized the Hornets were aggressive on the boards including 10 from senior guard Brandon Dove. Going into the break, both teams shot 42% from the field and PHS carried the slimmest of leads at 25-24.

This league showdown remained tight for the majority of the contest as one or two possessions separated the teams. In total, there were seven ties and sixteen lead changes throughout the game. Coincidentally, both teams notched 13 apiece in the third so the one-point Peninsula lead carried into the final period of play. The Hornets prolific offensive effort yielded an impressive 34 shots in the second half to PHS’s 18, but only 8 fell through. Meanwhile JaQuori Parker converted on some critical buckets down the stretch in addition to his flawless shooting from the charity stripe. The Hawks built their biggest lead of nine points in the fourth and didn’t look back. When the dust settled, the Hawks picked up a 55-48 victory. They are now 5-2 on the campaign.

Top Performers:
Peninsula
JaQuori McLaughlin – 25 points (7/16 FG’s, 8/8 FT’s), 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals