The Vashon boys basketball team took down two of its Nisqually League foes last week to bring its record to 3-3.

The Charles Wright Tarriers came to Vashon on Tuesday, Jan. 10, to play the Pirates and went home losing, 49-40.

The Pirates started out strong with good ball movement, and five different players scored in the first quarter.

Jessie Norton got it rolling, hitting two of three three-point shots on the night in the first; he ended the night with 10 points. Dan Lofland led scoring on the night with 14, scoring four in the first quarter.

Defense bottled up the middle and held Charles Wright to just four points in the first.

The Tarriers came out in the second quarter and went on a seven-point run with no Pirate scores in the first two minutes of the quarter.

Alex Vanderpool scored for two and hit two foul shots in the second, ending the night with six points. Norton hit another three-point shot, and the quarter ended with Vashon ahead, 25-19

In the third quarter Ben Whitaker got hot, hitting a three-point shot and scoring eight of his 10 points on the night, two of them coming off a great assist from Jessie Hazzard.

Owen Brenno got a put-back for two of his five points on the night and led the team with five rebounds. The Pirates held their lead, ending the quarter 39-31.

In the fourth quarter, Brenno and Lofland combined for eight points from foul shots. With only one shot hitting from the floor, defense stepped up and held Charles Wright from scoring in the last 1:08 of the game. The buzzer sounded with Vashon ahead by nine, 49-40.

The team then traveled to Chimacum on Friday and came away winners in a see-saw game with neither team leading by more than six points, and ending close at 55-52.

In the first quarter Dylan Basurto scored four of his 10 points on the night, and Ben Whitaker scored four of his 13 on the night.

Defense showed its strength early, forcing the first of 16 Chimacum turnovers. The Pirates had  turnover trouble with two turnovers in the last two seconds of the quarter, leading to four Chimacum points, but ended the night with only eight turnovers.

The second quarter saw the Pirates outscore Chimacum with Lofland and Norton hitting three-point shots. Hazzard scored two.

Chimacum began to look a bit rattled as the Pirates held their star scorer in check, keeping him from taking over the game, which was a key to the their win. The second quarter ended with the Pirates just ahead, 23-22.

The third quarter saw each team trade baskets and turnovers. Lofland led scoring in the quarter with six and ended the night with 11, and Owen Brenno scored two of his four points on the night. The fast-paced quarter ended with Chimacum ahead, 36-33.

Norton took over and got the Pirate momentum going in the fourth, scoring 12 of his team-leading 15 points, three of them coming from three-pointers.

Whitaker hit a three-pointer and two key foul shots to put the Pirates ahead for good with 16 seconds left.

With a chance to tie it up on three fouls shots, Chimacum’s star player missed the first two then tried to miss the last to get a chance at a rebound and points, but instead made the shot, and the Pirates got the ball to end the game, winning 55-52.

After the game, coach Andy Sears praised the team’s hard work and effort, saying he was “happy the boys were able to beat a good team on their home court.”

Sears said he was pleased for the boys and that they had been practicing well.

“They know what they are doing and do it great in practice, and we knew in time it would transfer to games,” he said.

At the halfway point in league play, the Pirates record is 3-3. The team was scheduled to play at league-leading Seattle Christian on Tuesday after press deadline, and will play Christian Faith school at home Saturday.

— Brian Brenno is the father of a Vashon basketball player.