Peninsula Girls Too Much for Washington

Peninsula High, the top-ranked girls’ basketball team in the state, had just finished a 55-42 nonleague victory over No. 2 Washington on Saturday night at Washington, but Panther Coach Wendell Yoshida wasn’t entirely pleased with the way his team played.

“It’s a good win,” Yoshida said. “I’m just didn’t think physically we played as well as we could. We didn’t execute that well but it’s still early.”

Yoshida couldn’t have been too upset with the team’s early play, when the Panthers took a 17-4 lead after a quarter.

Peninsula (4-0) increased its advantage to 33-14 by halftime, but Washington (6-1) rallied in the second half behind All-America forward Charisse Sampson, who scored 21 of her game-leading 30 points after the break.

“I think Charisse’s athletic ability and (Keshana) Ledet’s play on the boards neutralized things for us,” Yoshida said.

The Panthers held Ledet to six points, 13 below her average, but she pulled in a game-high 22 rebounds.

Peninsula was led forward Mimi McKinney and guards Kristen Mulligan and Jill Kennedy, who each scored 12 points, and forward Monique Morehouse, who added 10.

“This was Monique’s first game of the season so this was a good opportunity for her to play against a good team,” Yoshida said.

Kennedy, a reserve, sparked the Panthers with four three-point baskets, three of those coming in the first half.

Washington Coach Phil Chase, whose team has won three City 4-A Division titles in a row, said the outcome might have been closer if Shakeisha Chambers--his team’s starting point guard--had played. Chambers sat out the game because of a groin injury.

“We played hard, but our offense wasn’t too good for two reasons,” he said. “First, Peninsula has a very good defense and, secondly, when you’re missing your point guard, the flow doesn’t go as easily.”