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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1998)
T he CI ac I< amas P rint Sports Cougars inch closer to division title With only two games remaining, Clackamas could win the Southern Division title this week The champions of the four regions in the Northwest Athletic As sociation of Community The women's basketball team moved two steps Colleges [NWAACC] closer to winning the Southern Division title this earn an automatic berth week. into the championship With recent wins over Portland and Linn-Benton Com tournament. munity College, the Cougars hold aone game lead over "We're really shooting second-place Chemeketa and Umpqua. for first place," noted On Saturday, the sophomores played in their final Twain, "because then we home game of the regular season, winning easily, 89-58 know that we're in the over the visiting Roadrunners [0-12, 3-20] of Linn- tournament for sure. It Benton. takes a lot of pressure Clackamas [10-2, 20-5] exploded early and jumped off us during playoffs." out to a 13-0 lead behind excellent defense. The Cougars face off "I was really pleased with the defensive pressure we against Mt. Hood Com put on Linn-Benton," said Head Coach Karen Twain. munity College tonight "We came out strong again and had a good first half." in Gresham. Sophomore Robbie Nix entertained her remarkably Clackamas last faced large fan following with 18 points, nine rebounds and the Saints [6-6, 11-13] two blocks while freshman Nichole Hayden had one of on Jan. 28. The Cougars her best games of the year with an 18-point performance shut down Mt. Hood's and seven rebounds. Hayden also had two blocks and star point guard Kelli Hedlund in a 79-75 win. one steal. "They have a really Sophomores Denise Bean and Lauren Mohan also turned in excellent performances. Bean collected 15 athletic team and as I've points and three steals while Mohan had eight assists said in the past, they match up very well and two steals. On Wednesday, Clackamas took on the Panthers [4-8, against us," said Coach Twain. 7-18] at Portland Community College. The Cougars, hoping to avenge an earlier 63-62 upset "The first game we loss to the Panthers, came into the game fired up and were really focused on stopping Hedlund and of never trailed throughout the contest. Clackamas outlasted Portland, 65-55, in a game that course that will be big saw momentum shift back and forth from team to again for this game, but, there's a lot more to team. “ •■ "Portland is a good team," noted Twain. "There them now than just were a lot of swings in that game, but we still kept Hedlund. They're a our head up and scored when we needed to and made much better team than before." some defensive stops when we needed to." Since the Cougars' Nix and Hayden both had stellar performances in the victory. Nix had 15 points while Hayden had 12 first meeting with the points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Michelle Saints, Mt. Hood has McKinney had 11 points and nine rebounds while dropped two games and Freshman Melinda Freeman collected eight points. is struggling to hold JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print onto the fourth and final Sophomore post Robbie Nix attempts two other 18 points in the Cougars' Mohan had eight assists. With the wins over Portland and Linn-Benton, playoff spot. 89-58 victory over Linn-Benton on Saturday. Nix finished the game with "Mt. Hood is really in nine rebounds and two blocks as well. The Cougars [10-2,20-5] travel to Clackamas is now in a position to clinch their sec ond Southern Division title with victories in their two a must-win situation as Gresham to take on the Mt. Hood Saints tonight. well," added Twain. remaining games. Clackamas last won the title two years ago when "They really need to win to make the playoffs so we coaching perspective to play them. "With a win on Wednesday, things would be down they were co-champions along with Chemeketa Com know that this is going to be a battle." The Saints are currently in a tie for fourth place to that last game where we just have to win it so I munity College. along with Lane Community Col think our girls will be fired up to play." With playoffs Mid-way through the schedule, Clackamas was lege. quickly approaching, The Titans [6-6, 14-11] have ranked sixth in the northwest be the Cougars are playing come on strong in the second half hind Southern Division teams sec ft the best basketball of of the season and stand as a big ond-ranked Umpqua [9-3, 23-3] Right now the season. threat for the Cougars, their final amd fifth-ranked Chemeketa [9-3, "This is a good time we’re opponent of the regular season. 20-7], for things to come to Since the rankings, the Cougars "Our last two games are against gether for us," said Mt. Hood and Lane at their places have pulled away from their rivals one game at Twain. "A lot of teams so they're are not going to be easy," to the south and have begun to earn peak early in the season a time. . said Twain. "That's okay though be respect throughout the NWAACC. and what I feel is that "I've had a number of coaches cause we need two big games to get we've started to peak Once we get ready for NWAACC's and the play outside of our region call me just but we're still getting to say 'Congratulations' and 'We there, it's offs. better. We haven't "With Lane, I think we have better didn't expect that' and clearly in the going tobe stopped. talent than they do but apparently rankings that's been the case," "We know that the a 'win it they're running some new things down noted Twain. "But there are some tournament is coming there that a lot of people haven't seen tough teams from other regions this up," added Twain. year. If and when we do make it to and are pretty difficult to defend. "We're grabbing some Karen Twain "We may mix up some things NWAACCs, there's going to be momentum as we get Head Coach eight teams that are just awesome. against them. Our bread and butter into it and our goal has -on the has been our man-defense and we've "Right now we're just focused on been the same since the Cougars' been playing great defense lately. one game at a time," added Twain. beginning of the season chances of Apparently they've got some pretty "Once we do get there, of course, which is to finish first. clinching an good offense to combat it so might it's going to be 'win it all.'" We're still taking things NWAACC try some different things against If Clackamas wins their final two JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print one day at a time but tournament we realize that if we Sophomore guard Lauren Mohan is fifth in them. They've really come on strong games of the regular season, the berth since the beginning of the season but Cougars would face the fourth place win these next two assists in the NWAACC, averaging eight JOHN THORBURN Sports Editor M-' 99 games then we're in." per game. either way we'll be ready from a team on Thursday, Feb. 26 at home. Wednesday, February 18, 1998
