The Clipper Men's Basketball team has qualified for the postseason with a close 78-68 win against the Highline Thunderbirds this past Wednesday. This marks the third consecutive year that the men's program has qualified for the NWAC Tournament.
"Setting the standard was a goal of ours. We pride ourselves on playing basketball the right way and competing and preparing," said Head Coach Zach Smith. "Having three years in a row where we've continuously gotten better each year is a testament to the kids we've brought in and their work ethic and the standard that is set. Winning matters."
"At the beginning of the year we set goals for ourselves: to make the tournament, win the region, and win the NWAC. We can still accomplish all of our goals still," said Sophomore Point Guard Quincy Linton. "Being in my second year and knowing that we've made playoffs is exciting especially with our nine returning sophomores."
The two games of the week were not easy ones for the Clippers as they faced off against ranked opposition in #10 ranked Highline and #5 ranked Lower Columbia, not to mention that both games were on the road.
Highline managed to keep the game close for the first half, going shot for shot with the Clippers that culminating in a three-point lead for SPSCC going into halftime. The second half was more of the same from the Thunderbirds as they played hot potato with the Clippers for the lead for the better part of the first five minutes.
But the Clips' staunch defense locked Highline down for most of the latter half of the period, allowing only 16 points in the last 10 minutes, and the transition game helped the Clippers create some breathing room between the T-Birds and them. In the end, the Clippers coasted to a 10-point victory in a tough game away from home.
"Midway through that second half we had a four-, five-minute stretch of just phenomenal heart and toughness. Our guys defended their butts off," said Coach Smith after the playoff-clinching game. He lauded his players that helped the defense work its magic, "There're a few guys that stick out, Jeremiah's [Lewis] rebounding during that segment and toughness on the block was key. Quincy [Linton], [Alex] Tichenor, Caleb [Bowden], that group put their foot on the ground and defended. They got out and ran, and got us some transition buckets that pushed the lead from 2 or 4 points to 12."
The starting five all ended up in double-digit points for the night, with Nehemiah Pollard leading the charge with 16 points and Marcus Lawson not far behind with 14 points of his own.
After clinching a playoff position, the Clippers then set their sights on a trip to Longview to take on rival Lower Columbia to stay undefeated in conference play. It was a tough battle for the Clippers to start the game as the Red Devils shot the ball well and went into the halftime break with a 15-point lead.
The second half was an offensive explosion for both teams as they went back-and-forth, shot-for-shot, with both teams shooting better than 45% overall for the half. Unfortunately for the Clippers, it was a case of "too little, too late" as they could not get an edge over LCC, despite scoring 52 points in the half, and suffered their first defeat of the conference season by a score of 90-78.
Cameron Lawson led the team with 17 points (all of which he scored in the second half) with Linton chipping in 16 points for the night.
"I think our guys got a little bit comfortable, and it was a good reminder that on any given night in the West Region you can get beat. I just didn't think that we adjusted very well and our guys have to respond better," said Coach Smith about the loss against LCC. "But I love their fight. We scored 52 points in the second half to make it interesting. But all in all, it reset us and we have to keep working and keep getting better. We have to stay hungry and stay paranoid."
The Clippers finish off their season with a three-game homestand that will see the Pierce Raiders come through for game on Wednesday, Feb. 19; followed by a matchup against the Centralia Trailblazers on Saturday, Feb. 22; and Sophomore Night against the Green River Gators on Wednesday, Feb. 26. For more information, be sure to check out www.spsccathletics.com.