The South Puget Sound Community College men’s basketball team kicked off their 2024-25 conference season by winning their first five games in a bid for another playoff appearance later in March.
The Clippers dominated their first five opponents in the West Region of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) after a tough preseason schedule, which started in October.
They played 15 preseason games against different collegiate men’s basketball programs in the country and ended their preseason preparations with a 11-4 record right before Christmas break.
SPSCC opened the 2024-25 conference with a resounding home victory in front of a packed gym as they outpointed Tacoma Community College 100-69 on Jan. 8.
All players in the Clippers starting five registered double digits in scoring, led by sophomore guard Nehamiah Pollard, who had 26 points. Point guard Quincy Linton had a triple double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Clippers then followed that up with another whooping, as they traveled to Aberdeen on Jan. 11 and made light work of Grays Harbor in an 81-67 win.
Apart from their consistent shooting, the Clippers limited the Chokers to less than 40% in field goals and less than 25% in three-point field goals, with their defensive work being another contributing factor to their current form.
The first challenge of the season came in their third outing with a narrow 72-69 win at home against Highline Community College on Jan. 15.
The Clippers had a commanding 44-32 lead at halftime but almost squandered that advantage in the second half, only to survive the Highline offense and hold off the Thunderbirds.
The following game was one for the books for the Clippers, as they hosted last season’s No. 1 seed in the West and bitter rivals Lower Columbia College (LCC), in one of the most anticipated duels of the season on Jan. 18.
The Clippers started the grudge match with a pulsating 13-0 run, and ended up holding the Red Devils to their lowest scoring game of the season. The Clippers won 61-50.
“LCC is our rival and with nine sophomores coming back, I felt like everyone just knew the plan and what we wanted — and at the end of the day that’s to win. Whether we had to dive for a ball on the court or raise each other up on the sideline, we all came together as a team to get this big win,” said Clippers Forward Osvaldo Biebrich.
Completing the five-game win streak was a 91-46 blow out of winless Pierce College on Jan. 22. Cameron Lawson led the scoring with 20 points from the bench.
“The team just tries to come into every game focused, locked in, and locking in our matchups. Everything starts on the defensive end, and it translates into offense,” said sophomore point guard Nehemiah Pollard about the team’s recent form.
The South Puget Sound team is currently on top of the West along with Green River, with both teams having 5-0 starts in the conference.
Last season, the Clippers ended the season with an 8-6 record for a third-seed finish in the West before losing in the first round of the playoffs.
“In the West, there’s never an easy night,” emphasized Head Coach Zach Smith. “It’s a gauntlet. Everybody can beat anybody on any given night, so you got to be ready to go every time that ball goes up in the air.”
The Clippers will be on the road to face Green River on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and Tacoma on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
They will come back home on Saturday, Feb. 8, to host Grays Harbor at the SPSCC Health and Wellness Center’s main gym.
Information courtesy of South Puget Sound Community College Athletics.
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