PASCO, Wash. - Portland CC rolled past Peninsula 76-49 in a 1st round matchup at the NWAC Championship Tournament today in Pasco.

The Panthers headed into the tourney as the number 1 seed from the South Region, and faced the Pirates who were the number 4 seed from the North Region.

While the numbers seemed to favor Portland, head coach Cameron Mitchell expressed concern over the Pirates' athleticism and interior play. A week of preparation paid off today as PCC cruised to a comfortable win.

Portland scored well below their season average of 100 points per game but their defense was sturdy in this one, holding Peninsula to just 24 percent shooting (14 of 59).

One challenge PCC faced was the foul trouble of leading scorer Jahvari Martino, who could not make an impact after being limited to just 12 minutes of court time. In his stead, Kyle Gruhler shoulder the offensive responsibility by pouring in 30 points including six three point field goals.

The Panthers led from the opening tip and quickly built a double digit advantage. PCC led by 19 (32-13) late in the first half, when Peninsula made a rally that that cut the gap down to 34-22 at halftime.

The second half did not start well for Portland as Martino immediately picked up his 4th foul and the Pirates converted a three point play, Any momentum that Peninsula was hoping for was instantly dashed however, as PCC went on an 11-0 run to turn a nine point lead into 20 points (45-35) which only grew from there. Gruhler was the difference maker in the second half, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

Hayden Rose chipped in with 20 points and seven rebounds. Jamie McGrail and Nydir Hodges provided a boost off the bench with six points each.

Portland will now face Columbia Basin College, who were 62-57 winners over South Puget Sound in their first round contest.