POULSBO — The North Kitsap Lady Viking season roared in like a lion and puttered out like a lamb. Throughout the season, North was supported by individual performances which carried the team.

As the Kitsap News Group sports reporters scoured the stats, the games, the results and the plays, they’ve produced the 2006 All-Kitsap Girls Basketball team.

Starters

Megan Hoisington, forward, Central Kitsap: The Narrows League girls MVP, Hoisington was an inside force to be reckoned with this season, averaging 13.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. The Cougar senior also swatted 1.3 shots a game and had an average of 3.9 steals, proving she can play tough defense as well.

Brittany Gray, forward, Bainbridge: The freshman forward did pretty well in her first year of prep basketball, averaging 13 points and nine rebounds a game. She hopes to lead Bainbridge to the forefront of a state run next season.

Jenn Jacobs, guard, Bremerton: An All-Narrows League first-teamer, Jacobs has drawn plenty of attention from NCAA recruiters and led the Knights back to the league tournament this year with a phenomenal 53.7 three-point shooting percentage, 20.3 points a game and 2.7 steals in an average contest.

Shannon White, guard, Olympic: White, at the forefront of the Lady Trojans’ turnaround year, averaged 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.65 steals a game. But where she really helped her squad out was in playing smart. White had just 49 turnovers compared to her 53 steals for a plus-4 turnover ratio, rare in high school hoops.

Jade Niemeyer, post, North Kitsap: The junior Niemeyer’s fluid post presence was complimented well by her touch from the outside this year as she led the Lady Vikings in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. She also averaged nine rebounds and two steals per game in a hindered season. Halfway through the year, she suffered sprains to her wrist and ankle simultaneously in practice, which caused her to miss two games. Nonetheless, Niemeyer finished the year with a 20-point performance, proving that she’ll lead North into next year.

Bench

Allie Picha, guard, Bainbridge: The senior forward/guard was one of the big keys for the Spartans, averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds a game as she helped Bainbridge to its best record ever in the Metro League.

Kayla Bennett, forward, Central Kitsap: Bennett, a transfer from Bremerton, proved to be a key cog in the Cougs 19-0 run to start the year. Averaging 8.6 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds, Bennett, a senior, also had to battle adversity, including kidney stones that caused her to collapse after one contest. Although Bennett is out for the CK girls playoff run, she was a key part of getting the team there.

Sharrisa Pauley, post, South Kitsap: The senior was one of a few bright spots for the Wolves this season. She led the team in scoring, averaging just over 12 points a game, while being one of the team’s best defenders. Tough inside, Pauley was never afraid to fight for a rebound or loose ball.

Jasmine Hill, forward, North Kitsap: North senior Hill was rock steady for the Lady Viking defense and was equally solid on the offensive end, holding down the paint for the purple and gold this year. Though the team’s record was dismal ending her senior season, Hill’s individual numbers cruised to a nearly double-double average as she scored 8.8 points and grabbed 8.5 rebounds per game.

Megan Spence, forward, King’s West: Spence was half of a two-headed monster in the low post for King’s West, carrying the Warriors back into the top of the Sea-Tac League and the state tournament. She scored 19.6 points and averaged 7.8 rebounds per game during the regular season.

Candace Grettenberger, forward, Bremerton: Grettenberger quietly put up great numbers while opponents keyed in on Jacobs. The Lady Knight forced foes to think about stopping somebody else when she put up a double-double on an ordinary night, averaging 10.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Chloe Mosey, forward, King’s West: Along with Spence, the 6-footer made teams like North Kitsap and North Mason worry about the little B school on Chico Way in early season contests. Mosey was a powerhouse hitting the boards for 12.9 rebounds a game to add to her 15.3 point average.

Honorable Mention

Kaileigh Westermann, wing, South Kitsap

Patricia Lewis, forward, Bremerton

Dacotah Ettl, forward, Central Kitsap

Pepper Fanua, post, Olympic

Danya Mares, post, Klahowya

Caitlyn Salo, guard, Bainbridge

Rachel Kramer, guard, North Kitsap: Senior guard Rachel Kramer lived up the court general expectation that comes with playing the point. Though her numbers were not astounding (6.4 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game) she was the engine of the team this year.

Coach of the year

Denise Baxter, Central Kitsap: While the Lady Cougs hit a late-season slump, Baxter led the Central Kitsap girls to a 19-0 start. And while Gig Harbor beat the Cougs’ in a Bridge crown showdown, CK still finished 20-4 with a 13-1 league record. CK was the Bridge Division’s highest-scoring team as well as its top defense crew, scoring 1,249 points (52 points per game) while allowing just 920 (38.3 ppg).

Baxter’s strength is her defensive strategy, often creating turnovers on the inside despite lacking the size of some teams. But the real test will come next season, when CK loses a number of key seniors.