The Everett men's basketball team now has the daunting task of climbing up the ranks in the NWAACC North Division after a 5-5 record midway through league games.

The good news is that the Trojans will get to play Whatcom, North Seattle, and Peninsula Community College on their home court where the Trojans are 4-1 with their only loss coming to top seeded Olympic Community College by 3 points.

The bad news is that the Trojans will have to go on the road where they are 1-4 with their only win coming against last-place Shoreline Community College, who have not won a league game this season.

"I think if you told guys at the beginning of the season that we could be 5-5 right now no one would be happy [with] that," co-captain Kegan Bone said. "But we still have a great chance to make the NWAACC tournament and if we just keep playing hard and leaving it out on the court, the rest of it will work itself out."

With guys like guard Chris Grounds who has led the league in points-per-game (18.2) including a league game high 32 Feb. 4 at home against Shoreline and Stephen Waltman who is in the top ten for points per game (15.5) and rebounds per game (8.2), the team has expected better results so far through the season.

But it is not just the Trojans who believe that they are capable of playing better and making the NWAACC tournament.

"[Everett] has a good inside-outside game," Shoreline Head Coach Butch Estes said. "Waltman is a horse inside who really plays hard and works hard, and Grounds is one of the best guards in the league, if not the best."

Shoreline struggled with the Trojans in the two games they played against each other this season, with Everett winning both of them and Grounds and Waltman combining for 80 points in the two games.

"It is going to be a real dogfight for that final spot and there are going to be some good battles," Estes said. "But Everett definitely has a chance to be that team."

What seems to be hurting the Trojans most this season is the free throw line where they are shooting just over 56 percent, which is the worst in the North Division.

"It seems like every game we say we have got to make free throws," Bone said. "But we continue to shoot terribly from the free throw line."

Over their last three games, where the Trojans played Peninsula, Bellevue and Shoreline, the Trojans shot just over 50 percent from the line including an 11 for 25 outing against Shoreline.

"I think a lot of it is focusing," Bone said. "We shoot tons of free throws every day in practice and we seem to do pretty good then, but we get into games and we just can't seem to hit the stupid things."

With six games remaining in the regular season the Trojans will have to show what they are really capable of as four of the six teams they play beat the Trojans the first half of the season.

The Everett women's basketball (5-5) team is on the outside looking in for the fourth and final spot needed to get to the NWAACC tournament in March.

After a 63-49 win over Shoreline Community College on Feb. 4, the Trojans ended a losing streak in which they had lost three of their previous four games and moved to just one game behind Whatcom for the fourth seed.

"We are really talented but we need to make sure we bring our talent when we play," sophomore forward Ashley Larsen said. "Everyone needs to step up their level of play . we all need each other in order to get a win.

The feeling around the locker room seems to be that they have lost some games that should not have been lost, like against Bellevue Community College Jan. 31 where the Trojans lost 49-58 with a game high 17 points and 10 rebounds for freshman forward Ashley Housden.

The Trojans stayed close in the first half, allowing only 24 points, but Bellevue got a lot of energy off of their bench scoring 36 points from their reserves compared to three for the Trojans.

"We all thought we were going to win that game," Russell said. "But we still kept our heads up and focused on the rest of the games we have left."

The Trojans trail only Skagit Valley, Peninsula, Bellevue and Whatcom Community Colleges in the NWAACC North Division standings and will have a chance to play each of those teams except Bellevue again this season including Peninsula and Whatcom at home where the Trojans are 4-1.

The Trojans have fared much better on their home court compared to on the road as they are shooting higher than 34 percent from the three point line at home while on the road they have struggled at just over 21 percent. They are also averaging less than 60 points per game at home compared to 50 on the road.

"We need to be more patient and run through the offense," Russell said. "Every shot that we have made was led with a pass."

The Trojan's shooting will be a key factor in determining whether or not they will get into the top four of the division, as they have shot poorly all season ranking in the bottom of the division in points per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

"We need to do more than one pass and shoot," Larsen said. "We need to start going through our offenses more."

If the Trojans can make the NWAACC tournament it will be the fourth time in the last six years they have made the tournament.