10
Sports
WedNEsdAy, FEbRUARy 20, 2002
TN e CI ac I íamas P rínt
after two losses
on the year. But then Clackamas faced
NICK BARRON
some adversity and, coupled with some
of their most difficult matches all sea
Business Manager
All Clackamas’ men’s basketball
team had to do was win two games
and they could call themselves South
ern Division champs. But the Cougar
men fell to Chemeketa on Feb. 13 then
lost on Feb. 16 to Southwestern Or
egon, leaving the team’s hopes of re
peating as league champions up to
chance.
With Chemeketa holding a4-5 league
record coming into their match with
Clackamas, the Storm didn’t appear to
have a chance against the first-place
Cougars. The Cougars had beaten
them on Jan. 23, but the second time
around was a differ
son, now find themselves with their
backs against the wall.
“We need to keep opr focus,” said
sophomore Mat Tondreau “We just
haven’t been doing what got us here.”
In looking ahead, the Cougars play
three more games before the end of
the regular season, two of which are
on the road. Clackamas sits in a tie for
second place with Lane, the team that
handed the Cougars their first league
loss of the year. The likelihood of a
Clackamas repeat as Southern Divi
sion champions does not look prom
ising, but in college basketball the re
sults are never for certain, especially
heading
ent
story.
Chemeketa
emerged as the bet
ter team, if just for
one night, defeating
Clackamas99-88.
Matt Tabisz was
Clackamas’leading
scorer in the game,
with 25 points.
"...w played two
teams who played
harder than we
did, and that is
unacceptable."
Michael Kuebler
tossed in 17 and
grabbed seven re
bounds,
and
Marvin
Noble
scored 14. In the
into
March.
If Southwestern
drops either one
of their three
matches, and the
Cougars win all
three of theirs,
Clackamas will be
in a tie for first
place for the sec
Clif Wegner
Clackamas' men's
basketball coach
ond time this sea
son.
Neither
Wegner nor his
team will be hold
ing their breaths
for that to happen
end, though, it was the Storm’s deter
mination to upset the league leaders
that doomed Clackamas.
“There is a very unlikely chance that
that will happen (winning the South
Despite their loss at Chemeketa,
ern Division), but there is still a
Clackamas still had an opportunity to
tie Southwestern for first place with a
victory. Instead, the Cougars were
chance,” panned Tondreau
Wegner is not worrying about
Southwestern. Instead, he is focus
ing on preparing his team for the re
drowned in the Lakers’ hype, losing
9081.
though.
Kuebler, who is averaging 26 points
mainder of the year.
“We’re just trying to focus on im
per game this season, finished with
another spectacular athletic perfor
proving, game by game, and getting
ready for NWAACC’s. The league
mance, scoring 33 points and snag
ging nine rebounds. Noble chipped in
eight points and ended with eight re
champion never wins the NWAACC.
*1 believe on any night we can beat
bounds in the Cougar loss.
NWAACC wants to play us, because
The Cougars are in the midst of a
slump, albeit a short one, dropping
if wecomeout shooting well, we’ll beat
you,” said Wegner when asked if his
three of their last four games.
“On both Wednesday and Satur
day we played two teams who played
team still had a shot at winning the
harder than we did, and that is unac
ceptable. No matter what else, we play
harder than other people. We always
have, and we’ve always prided our
selves on that, and we didn’t do that,”
said Clackamas Coach Clif Wegner
when asked for reasons behind his
team’s uncharacteristic losing streak.
anybody. I think nobody in the
NWAACC Championships in early
March.
“I think we’djustbe scary for people
to play (in the NWAACC Champion
ships); we’re kind of like the Gonzaga
of the NWAACC.”
That is the path that Clackamas has
fallen into in just two weeks: fromdomi-
MAGGIE JIRASEK / Clackamas Print
nant contender to underdog challeng
ers.
To reach Nick Barron e-mail
On Jan. 30, the Cougars sat in the
drive’s seat of the Southern Division,
barrotwru @hotmaiL com or drop by
with a 7-0 league record and were 20-2
B-104
Mat Tondreau of Clackamas attempts a free throw in the Cougars'game against Southwestern
Oregon on Feb. 16. Clackamas, who fell to the Lakers 90-81, never came within two points of their
opponent.
MOVE AIEAD? LIFE
SOUTHERN DIVISION
SW Oregon
Clackamas
Lane
Chemeketa
Linn-Benton
Mt. Hood
Portland
Umpqua
LEAGUE
K
10-1
8-3
8-3
6-5
5-6
5-6
2-9
0-11
SEASON
20-5
21-5
15-10
17-8
10-14
11-13
5-19
4-20
C ontact M argie G ibœr
I nfo M eeting M ar 5^
Go Cougars! Go Cougars!