The South Puget Sound Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams posted mix results in road games against Green River College on Jan. 29.
The women’s team tasted their first defeat of the season in a 71-68 loss to the Gators, while the men’s squad continued their strong play in a 79-65 win over the defending Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) champions.
As a result, the men’s team remains undefeated, topping the West Region with a 9-9 conference games, while the women’s team slipped to second place with a 6-1 record.
The Clippers women’s team had their 12-game winning streak snapped in the loss to the Green River Gators in Auburn, Washington.
In a game where the score was tied eight times, the go-ahead points came in the last 30 seconds of the match. With the Clippers holding a 68-67 lead, the Gator’s Jirah Villanueva hit an open layup to reverse the advantage before the Clippers possession led to a missed layup by Monroe Mastro.
Two free throws from a foul on Aryanna Bull made it a three-point game with four seconds left. Vy Tran just missed what would have been the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
“Green River gave us their best, and they played really hard. When you’re sitting in a position like ours, that’s something that you have to be prepared for,” said Clippers head coach Darah Vining.
The Clippers started slow. They were held scoreless in the first two minutes of the opening quarter before Jaynee Tanner opened the scoring with an open bucket.
The early setback further weakened the visitors, who found themselves in a 10-point hole, 27-17, in the first 10 minutes.
It was a better second quarter for the Clippers, as they finally found their groove. Tanner and Taylor Teeple connected with their shots while the defense clamped down on the Gators shooting to slowly to cut into the lead.
Emma Garcia’s 3-pointer in the third quarter gave the Clippers their first lead at 45-44 in the opening three minutes of the second half, which later ballooned to six before the Gators came back for a 56-54 lead heading into the final quarter.
The back-and-forth action continued to intensify in the fourth quarter, especially in the last five minutes, with five lead changes.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, they were not able to convert some key shots and free-throw attempts, which led to the Gators holding on to their slim lead for the last 30 seconds of the game.
“There were moments where we battled and where we played hard. That fourth quarter we battled, but if we could’ve done that work early, that wouldn’t have had been something we needed to worry about,” said Vining about the performance late in the game.
“I think our team played very hard. Can we be a little bit more disciplined? For sure. But again, a learning lesson early is better than at the end of season.”
Teeple had a big game off the bench with 22 points and eight boards while Tanner recorded a double-double with 14 points and a season high 21 rebounds. Meanwhile, five Gators tallied double digits in points.
After the earlier loss of the women’s team, the men’s team was dominant in their win over the 2024 NWAC champions.
The Clippers held the defending champions to their third-lowest point total this season. They also held the hosts to 41.9% fromt the field, 14.3% from 3-point range, while outrebounding them 45 to 24.
The big men duo of Marcus Lawson and Jeremiah Lewis were crucial to the offensive end ,as Lawson led the scoring with 23 points. Lewis lorded over the paint with with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
"We knew Green River (was) going to play a lot of zone (defense). But the key to beating a zone is you either got to shoot them out of it or pass your way out of it, and I thought our guys did a really good job of staying patient, getting into the middle of that zone, and finding options," said Clippers head coach Zach Smith.
"Jeremiah (Lewis) was huge on the backside of that zone and finding a ton of options, whether it was assists from his teammates or getting offensive rebounds."
The defense Smith implemented paid dividends in the game. The Clippers established an early lead in the opening half, while forcing misses from the Gators.
The Clippers ended the half with a 39-29 lead.
Although it is too early to discuss tournament seedings and playoff scenarios, the team has bought into Smith's system and could be poised for a big post-season run.
"I think this team can go all the way, there's no doubt," said rookie forward Caleb Bowden. "I think we can win the whole NWAC; I think we all have that expectation to win it all."
Data and quotes provided by South Puget Sound Community College Athletics.
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