"We want to hang a banner" has been the motto of Clipper Basketball all season. From the coaches to the players, it is a motto that has resonated with this group since the beginning. With a close win against the Centralia Trailblazers, the Clipper Men's Basketball team has, at the very least, clinched a share of the NWAC West Region title.
"We need these wins to get a banner, so our goal is to win these games and get a banner," said Sophomore Forward/Center Tristyn Ambrose-Pearce after the team's win last Wednesday against Pierce.
The Clippers went into the week knowing that they hold their own destiny in their hands and that winning all three remaining games (against Pierce, Centralia, and Green River) guarantees the #1 seed in the West. Pierce started off their games strong, really giving the Clippers a run for their money. After getting off to a 6-0 lead, the Raiders continued to stay neck-and-neck with the Clips for the better part of the first half. It wasn't until the last five minutes where the Clippers were able to go on a run that helped balloon their lead from six points to 15 by halftime.
In the second half, it was all Clippers as they sank 52% of their shots from the field overall while keeping Pierce to a measly 37%. Also, the three-point percentage for the Clippers was out of this world in the second half, shooting 47% as they pulled away from the Raiders for the 92-66 win.
"Our focus today was playing a clean game and playing with a ton of effort. That was a weak point for us down in the Lower Columbia game and I think our group did a great job responding today," said Assistant Coach Michael Wade. "Šimun [Lončar] was great off the bench and TJ [Ambrose-Pearce] was awesome in his starting role tonight filling in for Jeremiah. The effort was crazy good for a couple of our guys that came off the bench and that really helps us build momentum going into [the Centralia game]."
Fan-favorite Lončar had himself a game, going a perfect 4-4 from the field for 14 points, and Ambrose-Pearce had a major input in the game from the 5, scoring 13 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.
After the big win against Pierce, the Clippers found themselves in a trap game situation with the Centralia Trailblazers coming into town. Despite their below-average record, Centralia is a team that can go head-to-head with any team in the NWAC and they proved it that night against SPSCC.
The game started off as one would expect as the odds-on favorite Clippers shot the ball well and went into the intermission with a 10-point advantage. However, the plucky Trailblazers were determined to score an upset against the top team in the division, and decided on a strategy of going hard at the rim to keep drawing fouls, which helped close the gap between both squads. Additionally, the Blazers' defense really clamped down on the Clippers' perimeter options, allowing only one three-pointer in the second half after allowing seven in the first.
Despite some sloppy play from the Clips in the second half, the team was able to rally and hold off Centralia's final-gasp attempt at evening the score and came out with 78-70 win. Caleb Bowden was by far the player of the game, dropping 23 points, with Ambrose-Pearce being the only other Clipper in double-digits with a 10-point effort for the game.
"This win is big for us because we put a lot of time in all of our practices and we're finally getting what we wanted. We're just one game away from it; we just got to keep pushing," said Sophomore Guard/Forward Marcus Lawson after the win against Centralia.
During the post-game locker room talk, word got out that Grays Harbor defeated Green River — effectively clinching a share of the West Region title for the Clippers. A loud eruption of cheers and hollering reverberated throughout the SPSCC gym as the players and coaches knew what that loss from the Gators meant. But, even with that help from Green River, the job isn't done yet. If the Clippers want the outright title of "West Region Champion" and to cut down the nets as the #1 seed, they have to beat the Gators on Sophomore Night.
"We need to drain every ounce of selfish thinking that we have and push all of our chips in on effort," said Coach Smith about the deciding game against the Gators. In order to beat Green River, you got to play really hard. They are a good basketball team and they shoot it well. The team has to refocus, reset, and get a fresh start here. We'll get back to scouting, watching film, and getting these guys prepared, but it's their job to play hard."
The final game of the men's basketball regular season is this Wednesday, Feb. 26 against the Green River Gators. The team will honor its sophomores before the game, which has a pivotal role in deciding seeding for the NWAC Basketball Championships in March. For more information, be sure to visit www.spsccathletics.com.