It was a bittersweet moment on Sophomore Night for the Clipper Men's Basketball Team. They had their best finish to a season in five years (23-6 overall record, 12-2 regional record) and locked up a share of the West Region title with Lower Columbia. However, with the 86-68 loss to the Green River Gators on the final day of the regular season, the Clips will go in as a #2 seed from the West in the NWAC Basketball Championships thanks to a matrix table tiebreaker.

With the #2 seed in tow, the Clips will now head into Pasco to faceoff against the #3 seed from the North, the Edmonds Tritons, on Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m.

Going into the tournament, not only do the Clippers have the advantage of having played (and defeated) their opponent earlier in the season but they also have myriad players that know the pressures of performing in the NWAC Tournament.

"Having that experience last year has definitely pushed our group to get back to the tournament. The sophomores we have all understand what is at stake and how quick your season can end," said Head Coach Zach Smith. "I think the mentality for us this week leading into the tournament is 'tighten the screws.' You don't get 23 wins by accident; we need to double down on what we do and come in with a ton of effort."

The team seeks to erase the memory of the loss against Green River with a deep tournament run. Caleb Bowden, Nehemiah Pollard, and Quincy Linton all finished that game with double-digit performances (19, 16, and 13 points respectively) despite the team shooting 39% from the field overall.

After a positive practice this past Saturday, Coach Smith liked what he saw from the team and is confident that the team is locked in for the upcoming tournament. "Winning in March is never easy, but I think this group is ready for it," emphasized Smith.

The Clippers take on the Edmonds Tritons at Columbia Basin's Holden Court on March 8 at 10 a.m. in Pasco, Wash. Tickets are available for purchase and the games will be livestreamed on NWAC Sports Network's website. The livestreams are available for purchase for $14 a game or $35 for the entire men's tournament.

For more information about Clipper Athletics, be sure to visit www.spsccathletics.com.