There is no denying that the Clipper Women’s Basketball team is red-hot right now. Not only are they undefeated in conference play with a 5-0 record, they are also on an astounding win streak that has now reached a dozen games. This has caught the eye of the NWAC as the Lady Clippers went from being unranked to No. 6 in the standings.
“The most important thing as we’ve been rolling is now being over that halfway hump. Now, we’re preparing for getting the wins that we need to stay in the position that we are in,” said Head Coach Darah Vining about the team’s mentality during this impressive run of form.
This week kicked off a long stretch away from home for the basketball teams and the first challenge for WBB was a trip to Lakewood where our ladies faced off against the Pierce Raiders. It was a true team effort as everyone was able to get on the scoresheet and contributed to a big 75-48 win to improve to 4-0 in conference.
“We had the opportunity to get everyone in the game and were able to work on our plays and become more efficient. It’s great to have that ability and be able to see how that will help us grow,” said Vining about the combined team effort in the win against Pierce.
Out of the starting five, Monroe Mastro, Jaynee Tanner, Taylor Teeple, and Vy Tran came up big, with all four players in double-digit points. Not to mention that Tanner and Teeple dominated the glass and added another double-double to their tallies for this year.
“When we are all working together, it makes it a lot easier to execute. The high-low action with me and Jaynee is always there and it’s fun to be able to throw the ball to her and she goes and gets a bucket and vice versa,” said Sophomore Forward/Center Taylor Teeple about how her and Tanner work well as a tandem.
“For us, it’s about working hard on the offensive glass. Me and Taylor crash every single board we can, and defensively. I feel like that definitely sets us apart from everyone else,” said Sophomore Forward/Center Jaynee Tanner when asked about the team’s rebounding prowess. Tanner (263) and Teeple (195) currently rank No. 1 and No. 5, respectively, in total rebounds for the season.
But the Clips weren’t done there. Next up was a trip down south to Centralia to take on the Trailblazers as the team sought to stay perfect in conference play. The game started off neck and neck as the Blazers had the game within one point after the first quarter. However, the Clippers were able to increase their lead in the second quarter thanks to some great ball distribution that led to points on the board from all of the starters and some of the bench players as well.
WBB was able to use that momentum the rest of the game; cruising to a 74-58 win against the Blazers to reach 12 straight wins and a 5-0 record as they near the halfway point of the conference season. It was another great team endeavor with Emma Garcia, Mastro, Teeple, and Tran all in double-digit points and Tanner with another big rebounding game, snatching 16 boards.
“When we come together and we listen to each other, we don’t think about the 12 wins. It’s on to the next game. We want to be No. 1 in the conference,” said Sophomore Guard/Forward Gabby Goldab. “It’s something we keep striving to because we want a banner. It’s not about who’s our competition, it’s about the overall end game, which is getting to the tournament in March and getting a banner.”
The Clippers continue their road trip as they take on the Green River Gators in Auburn this Wednesday followed by a game at Tacoma on Wednesday, Feb. 5. For more information, be sure to visit www.spsccathletics.com.