IO_________
Sports
WcdNEsdAy, FebRUARy 1?, 2002
The CL ac I camas P rìi I
Cougar men devour Umpqua
ing sole possession of first ph
in the Southern Division. The C< I
gars travel to Salem to fight w I
Chemeketa (15-8, 4-5) and tl I
NICK BARRON
Business Manager
After their defeat to Lane on Feb.
2, their first loss in over a month,
Clackamas’ men’s basketball team
had something to prove. The Cou
gars did just that Saturday, Feb. 9,
overpowering Umpqua, 87-52.
Clackamas put on what was per
haps their best defensive showing
in the first half, forcing the
Timbermen to turn the ball over
eight times. The Cougars, who
rank only 13th in the Northwest
Athletic Association of Commu
nity Colleges in defense, flew to
the basketball with more energy
than is typically shown by Clacka
mas on the defensive end of the
court.
Perhaps the reason behind the
Cougars’ increased force on de
fense was the lack of playing time
given to guard Marvin Noble, who
did not start for the second game
in a row for undisclosed reasons.
Noble is the engine that drives the
Clackamas offense, but with the
NWAACC leader in assists riding
the pine, the Cougars were forced
to take their defense to the next
level.
Clackamas’ Michael Kuebler,
who failed to score in the first half,
was unable to set himself up for
his trademark jumper as the ab
sence of Noble caused the shoot
ing guard to create his own shot.
Despite the lack of offensive
power, the Cougars were able to
outmatch Umpqua in every aspect
of the game, and in the end Clacka
mas had made their statement to
the rest of the NWAACC.
“We came back to play today.
We got a loss (to Lane), but we
showed them that you can’t beat
us,” Cougar freshman Russ
Schneider said after Saturday’s
game.
Mat Tondreau put on one of his
best performances of the season,
scoring 18 points and grabbing
seven rebounds. Another as
tounding Cougar performance was
put on by Evan Kieling, who fin
ished the night with 12 points, 15
rebounds and eight blocked shots.
Kuebler ended up with 13 points
play hosts to Southwestern Oreg I
(18-5,8-1) on Feb. 16.Clackama I
currently tied with Southwest®
for the division lead, but if I
Cougars beat both Chemeketa al
Southwestern, they would ret®
the league lead.
“This is a huge week for us, al
we’re going to be very focusel
Wegner said in reference to I
team’s preperation.
‘
Kuebler reiterates his coacl
sentiment, stating: “You gotta t<
it a game at a time. Going ill D<
Wednesday, it’s probably going r
i:
be our biggest game of the yt E
and it’s gonna be a champions! I
'SÉ
game next Saturday.”
With a one-sided win under till
belts, the Cougars seem poised I
pounce their opponents this we I
a week that Clackamas hopes v I
end in them sitting atop the di|
sion standings all by themselv
SALENA DE LA CRUZ/ Clackamas Print
Clackamas' Matt Tabisz drives to the basket during the Cougars'
87-52 blasting of Umpqua CC In Randall Hall last Saturday. Tabisz
scored 12 points during the win as Clackamas kept pace with
Southwestern Oregon CC atop the NWAACC's Southern Division
standings, each school with an 8-1 division record.
and seven rebounds, as Matt
Tabisz scored 12 in the Clackamas
victory.
Cougar coach Clif Wegner,
downplayed his team’s loss to
Lane, saying: “I wouldn’t make too
much of the loss at Lane. It was a
tough situation, emotionally, for
everybody. That was just a game
that we had to get through, but we
got through it. We didn’t play well
and we were distracted, and I
didn’t do a very good job either,
but I had to get through it too.”
Wegner was speaking in refer
ence to various issues that have
influenced his team, such as the
death of his father and a virus that
has affected the health of the Cou
gars. Regardless of the adversity
Clackamas has faced as of late,
Coach Wegner believes his team
is back on the right track.
In looking to the road ahead,
Wegner is preparing his team for
what could result in Clackamas hold-
SALENA DE LA CRUZ/ Clackamas P
The Cougars' Michael Kuebler guards the Inbound pass during
Clackamas' win over Umpqua CC at home on Saturday, Feb. 9.
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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■' -
Hiking
By Nick Barron
It seems that at this time every
year, nature desires to tease us
with one or two weekends of gor
geous blue skies, blinding sun
shine and temperate temperatures.
During these fleeting days,
people emerge from their places of
' hibernation and enjoy numerous
activities. The tennis courts are re
discovered, with handfuls of indi
viduals scurrying about in vain at
tempts at finally nailing that back
hand. Rollerbladers sail down side
walks, basking in the glow of the
once-forgotten sunlight, their legs
fully healed from last summer’s
cuts and bruises.
As for myself, I took this past
weekend’s respite from clouds and
rain in stride. Those golf clubs that
were collecting dust in the garage,
I grabbed them on Saturday with
the zeal of Bagger Vance and
headed to the Clackamas campus.
I found the ground still soggy from
months of endless precipitation
and the grass higher than most of
the roughs at any country club.
But with the mild weather and no
money in my wallet for a driving
range, I shrugged off the condi
tions of my make-do course and
went to work on my swing. *
The last time my hands clasped
a golf club was last September, so
I decided to take it easy at the start
and grabbed.the pitching wedge.
From the wedge to the seven iron,
I discovered one thing: The slice
that began to haunt me at the end
of last summer was still there, forc
ing me to realize that the weather
still wasn’t suitable for golf.
So on Sunday, I chose to take a
nice hike in the foothills of the
Cascades. Armed with candy bars
(for energy, of course), Doritos
(more energy boosters) and potato
salad (I just like potato salad), I
set off with friends in search of the
perfect way to spend a Sunday af
ternoon. The hike began well
enough with my body full of en-
ergy and the warm breeze keeping
me cool. I was enjoying Mother
Nature’s bounty, delighting in the
flowing creeks and inhaling the*
fresh air. I felt like Kit Carson,
On and on we trekked, our lungs
losing their ability to create oxy
gen and our legs failing to sup
port our torsos. Finally, a break was
in order, which meant time for an
energy boost via a Kit-Kat. My
feet at this point could have drawn
sympathy from a pincushion and
my spirit more resembled Al Gore’s
post-election than it did a 19th cen
tury explorer’s.
After the candy bar had been
devoured, our crew set off with
aching feet for the ride back to cifl
lization. The sun continued I
beam down upon us as we walk I
and discussed the possibilities I
making another hike next weekei I
but despite our hopes for anotl I
hike, we all knew they were ji I
hopes. The calendar
idar still real
rea$
February, and we still live in (f I
egon.
I
But for now, my feet will
c/-
will co
I
tinue to rest and wait to 1 be usi I
That pesky slice in my golf swi I
will remain in the dark. Sometin I
hopefully sooner than later, tl
sun will hide behind gray clou I
no more and I will be forced to w( I
off the winter fat.
I