Columbia Basin shot 33 percent Friday and still beat Peninsula 56-55 in its season opener. The Hawks collected 21 offensive rebounds, and the last of them put Emily Perry at the free-throw line with 19 seconds left.
Columbia Basin began with control. Nekha Roehl scored seven points in the first quarter, five of them at the line, and Alana Zavala's three-pointer with 1:34 left made it 16-8. The Pirates then scored the final six points of the quarter, and the second quarter belonged to them. The Hawks managed only seven points, and Peninsula's Kimberlee Brown scored twice in the last two minutes to give the Pirates a 25-23 halftime lead.
The third quarter turned on Roehl and Hailey Jamison. Roehl opened the half with a jumper and later hit a three-pointer. Jamison scored seven of her 13 points in the period, including a three-pointer and two baskets that put Columbia Basin up 37-34. Peninsula answered late, and the teams went to the fourth tied at 41.
Columbia Basin opened the final quarter with a 9-3 run, Zavala's three-pointer sparking it, and led 50-46 with 6:36 left. Then the offense went quiet for more than four minutes. The Pirates scored the next six points and led 52-50 before Jamison's jumper tied it at 2:25.
Habiba Adam's layup, set up by Roehl's defensive rebound and pass, put the Hawks up 54-52 with 1:15 to play. Dylan Neves answered with a three-pointer for Peninsula 18 seconds later.
The Hawks missed four shots at the rim in the final 35 seconds, and each miss was rebounded by a Hawk: Adam, Jamison, Adam, and then Perry. Perry was fouled on the fourth and made both free throws for the lead. Peninsula's Veniza Jackson missed two free throws with nine seconds left, and Zavala secured the rebound.
Adam finished with 15 rebounds, eight of them offensive, along with three steals and three assists. Roehl led the Hawks with 18 points and Zavala added 15. Jamison had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Columbia Basin went 9 of 12 at the free-throw line while Peninsula went 3 of 6, and the Hawks' 11 steals helped turn 18 Peninsula turnovers into 14 points.
Columbia Basin improves to 1-0 and will face Northwest Indian College on Day 2 of the CBC Tipoff Invitational on Saturday at 2pm.
