Community Sports

Six girls, three boys make all-league basketball teams

The Puget Sound League recently announced its basketball all-conference teams for the Narrows and Nisqually divisions.

Six girls from Peninsula and Gig Harbor appeared on the girls all-conference teams, led by Nisqually Division defensive MVP Grace Richardson of Peninsula. Three boys made all-conference squads from local schools.

Basketball season concluded with the Gig Harbor boys advancing to the state tournament. Both Peninsula and Gig Harbor’s girls teams qualified for the postseason.

All-conference honorees include:

Girls

First Team All-Nisqually Division and Defensive MVP

Grace Richardson, Peninsula, senior guard: Richardson led Peninsula in every major statistical category, scoring 19.2 points per game on pull-up jump shots and complex moves to the hoop. She also showed her toughness, grabbing nine rebounds per game, and led the team in assists, steals and blocked shots. Richardson was a four-time all-conference selection who owns five school records at Peninsula.

Grace Richardson of Peninsula. Photo by Bryce Carithers

First Team All-Narrows Division

Kaliyah Miller, Gig Harbor, junior guard: Miller was a playmaker for the Tides who did what her team needed to do to win ball games. She led her team in scoring at 12.3 points per game with effective drives and a versatile midrange game. She is a two-time all conference player who averaged 3.2 assists per game.

Kaliyah Miller of Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy Tim Olson

Willow Bonnici Gig Harbor, junior forward: Willow Bonnici was effective as a back-to-the-basket scorer who could also aggressively drive to the hoop and even hit the occasional 3-pointer. She is a two-time all-conference performer who was second on the team in scoring at 11.4 per game, while shooting 46 percent. She was also one of the best  rebounders in the league, leading her team for the second year in a row at 10.5 per contest.

Willow Bonnici of Gig Harbor. Photo by Tim Olson

Second Team All-Narrows Division

Beverly Dover, Gig Harbor, junior forward: Dover averaged 7.4 points per game and seemed to get better as the season progressed. With her 6-foot-2 frame and quick movement, Dover made life difficult for opponents to get open shots in the paint and stretched the floor with her ability to knock down 3-point shots.

Beverly Dover of Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy of Tim Olson

Honorable Mention All-Nisqually Division

Maci Miller, Peninsula, senior guard: Maci Miller, a capable long-range shooter, was second on the team in scoring at 6.6 points per game while handling point guard duties and averaging two steals per game.

Honorable Mention All-Narrows Division

Gracie Carey, Gig Harbor, senior guard: Carey was a spark plug player who made positive things happen when she got on the court. She was a polished ball handler, an aggressive defender and one of the emotional leaders of the Tides.

Boys

First Team All-Narrows Division

Michael Masini, Gig Harbor, junior center: The 6-foot-8 Masini was a dominant force in the tough Narrows Division, averaging 20.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest. He is a two-time all-conference player and was in the league MVP conversation after setting the Tides’ season rebounding record. He scored 35 points in a state tournament game and had separate games with 22 rebounds and 20 made free throws during the season.

Michael Masini of Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy of Michael Masini

First Team All-Nisqually Division

Isaac Schultz-Tait, Peninsula, senior forward: Schultz-Tait led the Seahawks in scoring and rebounding. The two-time all-conference player was difficult to defend at 6-foot-5. He scored 19.7 points per game with slashing drives, pull-up jumpers and enough shooting range to score regularly from beyond the 3-point line.

Isaac Schultz-Tait of Peninsula. Photo courtesy Isaac Schultz-Tait

Second Team All-Narrows Division

Cole Browne, Gig Harbor, senior guard: Browne, a do-it-all, 6-foot-4 shooter, averaged 13.1 points while leading his team in assists and steals. An intelligent guard and a two-time all-conference player, Browne led his team in assist to turnover ratio and was an aggressive on-ball defender who narrowly missed winning the Narrows Division defender of the year award.

Cole Browne of Gig Harbor. Photo by Christi Adams

I feel two other players merited honorable mention, but with 12 teams in the new league spots were very competitive. Those two players were senior Finley Wyman of the Gig Harbor girls team and junior AJ Alexeev of the Peninsula boys team. Both were team players and physical rebounders who both did a lot of the little things that win games but don’t always catch the attention of opposing coaches.