Sports

Seahawks, Tides clash tonight in basketball doubleheader

Tipoff times have been changed for tonight’s Peninsula-Gig Harbor basketball doubleheader so fans can attend both contests. The girls game at Peninsula was switched from 7 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and the boys at Gig Harbor bumped from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. so supporters can drive between the two schools during intermission.

The first meeting between the girls was a hard-fought, back-and-forth affair. Peninsula (6-3 in South Sound 3A Conference, 8-4 overall) took the lead on some terrific shooting, only for the Tides (9-0, 10-1) to keep their cool and rally for a 59-54 victory. Both teams are coming off of big wins Wednesday. The Seahawks scored in bunches in beating River Ridge, 75-41, while Gig Harbor was dismantling Central Kitsap, 45-18.

Besides the loss to the Tides, Peninsula has only fallen in league to North Thurston (8-1, 12-1) this season, twice, by four and six points. Gig Harbor handed the Rams their only loss in early January, 60-50, to gain sole possession of first place. The rematch, with conference title implications, is next Friday at Gig Harbor.

The Peninsula boys (4-4, 6-5) will be looking to avenge their most lopsided loss to Gig Harbor in the rivalry’s history, 60-14. They’re riding a 58-50 defeat of River Ridge on Wednesday, when the Tides (8-1, 12-1) overwhelmed Central Kitsap, 61-42.

In their previous game, last Friday, the Tides suffered their first setback of the season. Timberline (7-1, 9-2), which dropped a thrilling league opener to Gig Harbor, 73-70, in early December, turned the tables in another tight contest, 63-60, as two Gig Harbor starters battled the aftereffects of illness. Should both teams win out, they would be conference co-champions. Timberline’s only other loss was to defending state 2A champion North Kitsap, a favorite to defend its title.