The men's and women's Clippers teams clinch NWAC Championship slots

The men’s and women’s basketball teams of South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC), colloquially known as the Clippers, advanced to the 2023 Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Basketball Championship playoffs, which will be held at the Columbia Basin College Student Recreation Center on March 8 to 12.

The women’s team clinched a return to the playoffs after posting a 10-2 record with teams of the West Region as they worked hard on their defense after falling just short of the top 8 last season. Their adjustments this season worked wonders as they pulled off top-five rankings for their rebound differential, steals per game, and lowest on opponents' three-point percentage, good enough for a second seed in the division and a return to the sweet sixteen.

“This team has worked very hard over this season to make the adjustments to put us in a place to compete at the NWAC Championships. I am extremely proud of this team and their ability to come together to make one final run with our large group of sophomores,” said Darah Vining, Head Coach in Women’s Basketball. “We are excited to be back at the Championship and hope to represent SPSCC well!”

The women’s team will play their first NWAC playoff game on Thursday, March 9, against East’s third-seed North Idaho College at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, the men’s team will make their first appearance in the NWAC playoffs since the 2019-20 season, as they finished as the fourth seed in the West Region with an 8-6 record. They will challenge South’s top seed Clackamas Community College in their first NWAC championship game on Friday, March 10 at 12 p.m..

“I am incredibly proud of our group for their effort and toughness so far. I think about halfway through the year, our guys really started to believe they could do something special this season,” said Zachary Smith, Head Men's Basketball Coach. “The NWAC Championships is going to be a fun experience for everyone, but our guys are ready to go compete. They earned it.”

“Our success would not be possible without the incredible support we have here at SPSCC,” added Coach Smith. “The administration, faculty, and staff do an incredible job supporting our student-athletes on the court and in the classroom.”

All games would be live-streamed on the official website of the NWAC Sports Network, while free watch parties would be organized in support of the Clippers at Building 27 of the South Puget Sound Community College with light refreshments to be served.