Fight to the Finish: Storm Turn First-Quarter Rout into One-Possession Thriller

Peninsula rode a blistering opening quarter and just enough late poise to hold off a furious Chemeketa comeback, winning 57–52 on Monday afternoon at Myklebust Gymnasium.

Peninsula effectively decided the tone in the first 10 minutes, exploding to a 24–5 lead after one quarter. Chemeketa struggled to get clean looks early and couldn't match Peninsula's energy on the glass, a theme that showed up in the final rebounding totals (Peninsula 47, Chemeketa 32).

After the slow start, Chemeketa steadied itself and won each of the final three quarters:
- **2nd:** Chemeketa 18–16
- **3rd:** Chemeketa 15–8
- **4th:** Chemeketa 14–9

That sustained push turned the game from a rout into a one- to two-possession finish, but the early deficit ultimately left too much ground to cover.

Chemeketa was led by a strong two-player scoring punch:
- **Patricia Mike:** 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting, hit **2 threes**, added 2 steals.
- **Ava Rubio:** 16 points, **8 rebounds**, **4 assists**, and **5 steals**, consistently pressuring the ball and igniting the comeback.
- **Mia Fullbright:** 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Peninsula won with balance and a major bench boost:
- **Alecsis Smith:** a game-high **15 points** in just 12 minutes, an ultra-efficient **6-of-7** from the field plus 3-of-4 at the line.
- **Malia Garcia:** 8 points and 8 rebounds.
- **Makena Patrick:** 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.
- **Carliese O'Brien:** 6 points and 4 assists.

Despite similar overall shooting (**Chemeketa 33.9%**, Peninsula **33.8%**), the possession battle favored Peninsula:
- **Rebounds:** Peninsula **47** (16 offensive) vs. Chemeketa **32** (6 offensive)
- **Free throws:** Chemeketa left points at the line (**10-of-18**, 55.6%), while Peninsula also struggled (**5-of-14**, 35.7%)
- **Turnovers:** Chemeketa 19, Peninsula 18 (messy, but the extra rebounding chances helped Peninsula absorb mistakes)

Chemeketa's resilience—outscoring Peninsula 47–33 over the final three quarters—nearly erased the early hole, but Peninsula's first-quarter surge and dominance on the boards provided the cushion needed to close out a 57–52 win in front of 95 fans.

Pictured: Emma Juarez - 33     Photo Credit: The Athlete Studio     Instagram: @TheAthlete_Studio