Community Sports

Sports Beat | Tides’ season ends a game short of the dome

The Gig Harbor girls basketball team (19-6) lost a heartbreaker to White River (18-6) in a Class 3A state tournament game on Feb. 28 at the University of Puget Sound.

The 13th-seeded Tides’ season ended a game short of reaching the Tacoma Dome with the 44-43 loss to the 12th-seeded Hornets. White River won one more state tournament game before falling in the quarterfinals to Eastside Catholic, 59-40.

Gig Harbor took a 43-41 lead with about a minute remaining on junior guard Ashlyn Peirce’s breakaway layup, then forced a turnover on White River’s subsequent possession. With a two-point lead, possession of the ball and just 50 seconds left on the clock, the Tides appeared to be in good position to advance.

Anika Jones led Gig Harbor with 15 points in the state tournament loss to White River. Photo by Vincent Starr

But they missed an open shot with 18 seconds on the shot clock before White River sharpshooter Maggie Schmitz nailed a transition 3-pointer to put the Hornets up 44-43.

The Tides had two more opportunities to reclaim the lead, but the Hornets came up big defensively both times. White River center Kaijah Young blocked a shot by Willow Bonicci the first time, then stole a pass the second time.

Early lead

Gig Harbor, the Narrows Division champions, jumped out to an 11-5 first quarter lead thanks to good defensive zone rotations, driving buckets by Peirce and a baseline jumper from freshman Jaalay Miller.

But the lead could have been much larger. Gig Harbor connected on only 5 of 12 free throws in the first quarter, and White River prevented Tides leading scorer Kaliyah Miller from attempting a shot in the period.

Both aspects caught up to Gig Harbor in the second quarter, when the Hornets took an 18-15 lead.

Anika Jones, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, tied the score at 18 on a pass from Kaliyah Miller. The elder Miller sister then buried a 24-foot 3-pointer to give the Tides a 21-19 lead with four minutes to go in the second quarter.

White River led by two at halftime and extended the margin to eight by the end of the third quarter. Hornets star Malia Froemke made two 3-pointers in the quarter and four in the game.

Fourth-quarter comeback

Gig Harbor responded by ratcheting up the defensive pressure and pushing the tempo on offense. After a finger-roll by Peirce and a put-back by Bonicci, the game was tied again at 38. A Jones free throw completed a 9-0 run, put the Tides up two and left the impression that Gig Harbor might escape with a win.

That’s when the Tides’ offense seized up and White River started making the plays that would ultimately win the game.

Gig Harbor deserves credit for battling back in the fourth quarter against a good team. But the Hornets didn’t miss from the foul line while the Tides made only 8 for 18 during the game.

It was the final game for two Tides seniors: three time all-league guard Kaliyah Miller, a 1,000 point scorer; and Jill Mock a defensive specialist. Mock and Miller were co-captains.

White River 44, Gig Harbor 43

Gig Harbor – Anika Jones 15, Jalaay Miller 8, Ashlyn Peirce 8, Willow Bonicci 7, Kaliyah Miller 5, Khloe Squance 0, Sarah Cody 0, Bella Altman 0

Kaliyah Miller scored more than 1,000 points during her Gig Harbor career. Photo by Vincent Starr

Peninsula 11th at state bowling

Peninsula placed 11th at the Class 3A state bowling tournament in Tukwila last month with a pin total of 3,749.

Seahawks senior Janelle Ramones, the Puget Sound League champion, bowled an 815 to finish 46th individually.

Gig Harbor senior Kim Bornt had the best showing among local bowlers, placing seventh with a five-game total of 977.

Kim Bornt. Photo courtesy of Gig Harbor bowling

Spring sports season begins

The spring sports season is already underway, featuring track, fastpitch, baseball, golf, lacrosse, boys soccer, girls tennis and girls water polo.

The Peninsula and Gig Harbor baseball teams will face off in a shortened game at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Sehmel Park as part of a jamboree. Peninsula plays Silas at 11:30 a.m., followed by Gig Harbor vs. Silas at 1 p.m.

Ex-Seahawk headed to Westwood

Former Peninsula star Hall Schmidt, an offensive tackle, recently announced that he would transfer from Boise State to UCLA.

Schmidt is a 6-foot-7, 307-pound redshirt junior who started 12 games for a Boise State team that won the Mountain West championship and appeared in the College Football Playoff in 2024. He blocked for Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty that season.

Injuries hampered Schmidt during the 2025 season, but that didn’t stop new Bruins coach Bob Chesney from recruiting him to the Big 10 program.

Peninsula High graduate Hall Schmidt in his new UCLA uniform. Photo from Hall Schmidt’s Instagram account.