Behind sophomore Frazier, Peninsula girls hoops seeking more consistent play

After an up-and-down 2015-16 campaign, coach Shane Patrick and the Peninsula High School girls basketball team are aiming for more consistency this season.

That’ll start with 5-foot-11 point guard Belle Frazier, who was a revelation last season for a young Seahawks squad.

Frazier, who during the offseason is in the gym shooting at 5:30 in the morning several days per week, is the undisputed leader of a Seahawks team looking to make a splash in the Class 3A South Sound Conference.

“She’s our leader, really,” Patrick said. “She has a high basketball IQ. She’s a gym rat.”

Having the luxury of a four-year star to build a team around isn’t something that’s lost on Patrick.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about her. She’s just out there playing.”

For Frazier, she said she just wants to see continual improvement.

“I want to see our team really coming together, exceed what we did last year,” she said. “I want to see us go farther than we did last year.”

For Patrick, that means the entire team will have to buy into what he’s selling, not just Frazier. Peninsula returns a few other key contributors from a season ago, including 6-foot junior forward Kirsten Ritchie and senior guard Mackenzie Walch.

“Hopefully, we’re all successful,” Patrick said. “We’re not going to do anything without 10 kids being all in.”

Peninsula opened its regular season Wednesday at Stadium, before hosting Olympic and Kentwood on Friday (Dec. 2) and Saturday (Dec. 3), respectively. The Seahawks open league play on the road at Timberline on Dec. 7.

Peninsula will face crosstown rival Gig Harbor — now a member of the same league — at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at Gig Harbor High School and will host the Tides at 7 p.m. Jan. 25.

This story was originally published December 1, 2016 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Behind sophomore Frazier, Peninsula girls hoops seeking more consistent play."