The Pirates handled Life Christian 63-16 in Tacoma, improving their record to 9-3.
Vashon’s most proximal road game of the year was played at Life Christian High School last Tuesday evening.
The Pirates took the lead early and never looked back, relying on half-court defense to stymie an Eagle squad that featured a relatively inexperienced lineup comprised of all underclassmen.
The Pirates controlled both ends of the floor, employing a trapping zone defense to limit the Eagle shooting opportunities. Stiff defense, coupled to a patient effort in half-court offense, allowed the Pirates to take a 30-9 lead into the half.
The third quarter saw the Pirates explode for 22 points (while giving up only four) as the Pirates did a much better job in transition than they had in the first half.
Vashon scoring was led by its senior backcourt duo of Kelly Costello (17) and Kiki Means (13). These two athletes were the only Pirates to score in double digits as balanced scoring gave rise to the team’s other 33 points.
Chrissy Swope (8), Cat Amick (7), Charlotte Kehoe (6), Elisa Wendt (6), Kelsey Abella (2), Kathrine Misel (2) and Sophie Nespor (2) all contributed to the Pirate offensive effort.
The Pirate’s reserves took over in the fourth quarter, and the defensive pressure was maintained as they allowed the Eagles only three points.
Marya Munsey (2 assists, 1 steal), Abella and Misel each made offensive contributions in the fourth quarter as the Pirates won 63-16.
“I was particularly pleased with the play from our reserves,” said coach Henry Porter. “Each of them contributed points, assists or takeaways. These younger players have always played defensively with great energy, and they seem to be taking that energy more and more into our offensive sets.”
The Pirates have two home games this week. The first game will be played against Charles Wright at 5:15 p.m. today and the second is a return match against Chimacum at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Pirates won the first game played in Chimacum, but the Cowboys have shown improvement moving into the second half of the season.
— Gary Means is the father of Pirate basketball player Kiki Means.
