Story by: Grant Clark

Hayden Wakefield came off the bench and scored a career-high 26 points, hitting five 3-pointers in just 20 minutes of action, but it wasn't enough as the South Puget Sound Community College men's basketball team lost to visiting Centralia College, 85-82.

The Clippers (3-18 overall, 1-9 conference) were able to overcome an early nine-point deficit and held a 42-40 lead at the intermission, getting 11 first-half points from Wakefield and seven points from Aaron Alexander in the opening 20 minutes.
Trailing 84-79, Wakefield made it a one-possession game after draining his final 3, which pulled SPSCC within two points with 17 seconds to play. After Centralia's Byron Taylor split a pair of free throws, the Clippers had one final chance at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, but Wakefield's triple fell short.

Clipper sophomore Mekhi Speller-Hale added 14 points and seven rebounds while teammate O'Shae Barquet scored 10 points. SPSCC also received seven points and six rebounds from Black Hills High School graduate Justin Hicks, seven points and 10 rebounds from Alexander, and six points from Tumwater grad Ethan Dillon.