The Clipper Women's Basketball team is headed back to the NWAC Tournament this year after a year absence from the playoffs. WBB clinched a playoff spot with a convincing 81-38 win against the Highline Thunderbirds this past Wednesday.
"I'm really proud of our team for continuing to push through and continuing to work together to get to this point. These girls have earned the opportunity to get to play at the tournament," said Head Coach Darah Vining. "It's a fun feeling; it's new for some of them. So, it's going to be exciting to see how they take it all in.
"Last year, it was our goal to get in the tournament and not getting there was obviously pretty hard on us. But, I think that inspired all returning sophomores to come back, work hard to get there, and have an opportunity to do something special and get a banner," said Sophomore Point Guard Bryten Gumke about her experience from last year compares to this year.
It was a week of highs and lows for the Lady Clippers as they won in a blowout fashion against the T-Birds to clinch playoffs, only to fall short in a crucial game for higher seeding against heated rivals Lower Columbia three days later.
In the game against Highline, it was all Clippers as the women's team pressed on the gas early and never let their foot off the pedal. Coaches and players alike lauded the team effort, with a consensus that it was "the most complete team effort" out of this whole season. Everything the team did, they did well. Whether it was scoring (42% overall shooting), defending (held the T-Birds to 23% overall shooting and forced 16 turnovers), or rebounding (outrebounded Highline by 26), the Lady Clippers exceled in every aspect of the game.
Taylor Teeple led the game with 26 points and racked up 17 rebounds for another double-double for the season. Teeple wasn't the only one with a double-double as Vy Tran put up 13 big points of her own along with snatching down 19 rebounds for the game.
"With this game, with our low numbers, we really had to focus on controlling the pace of the game and playing as a team," said Sophomore Forward/Center Taylor Teeple about the team's performance in their win against Highline. "Everyone was looking to get buckets and play team defense. It was a great team win."
With playoffs clinched and a big win under their belt, the Lady Clippers had a confidence about them that they would need for their road game against Lower Columbia. Unfortunately, the Clips would learn that Longview is a tough place to come away from with a win.
The Clippers didn't have their best game shooting-wise, shooting a paltry 27% overall, and were forced into turning the ball over 24 times. Mo Mastro's magnificent 20-point game helped keep it close, but SPSCC were not able to overcome their shooting struggles from the second and third quarters and suffered their second conference loss of the season by a score of 67-57.
But with every loss comes a lesson, according to Coach Vining. "When we got there, we had a plan and they rocked us a little bit with their press. But at the end, our girls started to fight back but it just wasn't enough to be able to turn that game around. It's a great learning lesson, and we're going to see similar teams and how they play at the tournament. To learn now versus later is a positive," said Vining about the effort against LCC.
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.