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The Clackamas Print
Cougse
Calendar*
March 5, 2003
postseason as South's top seed
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Staff Writer
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Now with more real Cougar!
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ios
Friday-Monday,
March 7-10
NWAACC
CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Pasco, Wash.
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Friday-Monday,
March 7-10
NWAACC
CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Pasco, Wash.
After a slow start to the season,
the Cougars dramatically intensified
their level of play and were rewarded
this past week with a league champi
onship, albeit shared with Mt. Hood
CC (10-4 league, 14-10 overall) and
Lane CC (10-4, 20-6).
In addition, the Cougars’ record
(10-4, 19-8) was strong enough to
stake sole claim to-'the Southern
Region’s first seed going into the
Northwest Athlffic Association of
Community Colleges postseason
tournament. Clackamas’ first game
will be against Seattle CC (8-8, 14-
13) on March 7 at 10 p.m. in the Tri
Evan Kieling, Clackamas’ leading scorer, gets some air as
Cities Coliseum in Pasco, Wash.
Clackamas finished the season in a three-way tie for first
“These guys really showed a lot
of resiliency,” said Head Coach Clif sixth and seventh, respectively.
can shoot you out of a game. And if
Wegner. “They were 2-2 early in Clackamas was not ranked, nor was we’re on, we can beat anybody.”
South’s
fourth
entrant,
league, they lost their first home the
The Cougars closed out the regu
game, they were in about four differ Southwestern Oregon CC (8-6, 16- lar season with an 84-76 loss to
10).
ent junctures in this season where one
Chemeketa CC (5-9, 11-15) last
Clackamas won third place at the Wednesday, ending a six-game win
loss would have ended a chance at a
championship; and they won when NWAACCs last year after finishing ning streak.
they weren’t supposed to win, and runner-up in league. Clackamas last
“(Chemeketa) played very well
they won when they were supposed won the tournament in 1994.
that night, and we didn’t play very
“We’d like to bring back the tro well,” said Wegner. “We had a miser
to win, and I think it’s been an amaz
phy, and I feel like the tournament is able night shooting the ball from the
ing job. I’m really proud of them.”
The final Coaches’ Poll, released wide-open this year,” said Wegner. “I field. We were even miserable from
March 2, picked Green River CC feel good because we are capable of the free throw line, and if this team
playing the four games in a row. We has one outstanding attribute it’s
(14-2, 17-9) to win the NWAACC
championship. Lane, the Southern have the depth and we have the
shooting. That’s the one thing this
shooting, and I think that a lot of peo team does really, really well.”
Region’s third seed, and Mt. Hood,
its second, are anticipated to finish ple are scared to play us because we
Evan Kieling led the Cougars
PETE FORD Clackamas Print
he dunks against Mt. Hood.
with Mt. Hood and Lane.
with 23 points, nine rebounds, three
steals and three blocks. Brandon Gill
contributed 16 points, six rebounds
and six steals. Chris Hutcherson
added nine points, three rebounds
and three assists to the total.
However, the rest oflhe team was
cold from the field as they combined
for a 17 percent shooting perform
ance.
“I knew Chemeketa would be
very motivated; they always are,”
said Wegner. “I think it’s been six
straight years that we’ve split, and
we’ve always won here and they’ve
always won there. So I always know
it’s going to be a tough game.”.
Stretch run catapults Lady Cougars into first place
Staff Writer
Saturday, March 8
Columbia Basin
College
(DH)
at The Dalles, Ore.
@ 10 a.m.
Sunday, March 9
Pierce CC
(DH)
at The Dalles, Ore.
@ 10 a.m.
Saturday, March 8
Mt. Hood Open
at Gresham, Ore.
The Lady Cougars will enter the
Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges postseason tour
nament as the Southern Region’s third
seed after an impressive six game
winning streak boosted them from
fourth place into a four-way tie for
first.
Clackamas (11-3 league, 22-5
overall) will open the NWAACC tour
nament against Everett CC (13-3, 20-
7) at 8 a.m. on March 7 in the Tri
Cities Coliseum in Pasco, Wash.
This is the second straight year
that the Lady Cougars have won the
league; they took seventh place at the
NWAACCs last year.
Co-champions Chemeketa CC
(11-3, 24-4), Lane CC (11-3, 22-7)
and Umpqua CC (11-3, 20-8) will
enter the tournament seeded first, sec
ond and fourth, respectively.
The final Coaches’ Poll, released
March 2, predicts Big Bend CC (13-tf
25-2) to win the NWAACC champi
onship, followed by Chemeketa,
Lane, Clackamas and Umpqua.
“The keys to success are going to
be...getting off to a good start and
winning that first game, and just play
ing the way we’ve played the last six
or seven games,” said Head Coach
Jim Martineau. “Our offense has been
up and down a little bit, but our
defense has been very solid, so our
half-court defense is going to be a big
key for us... If we play well and get a
few breaks, we’ve got a pretty good
chance at it.”
The four-way tie forced a seeding
game between Clackamas and Lane
on Friday night for a chance to enter
the NWAACC tournament as the
Southern Region’s first seed.
Numerous lead changes forced a
down-to-the-wire nail-biter, but,
avenging a one-point loss from just
six days earlier, Lane returned the
favor and handed Clackamas a 68-67
loss and the third seed.
Fans were kept on the edges of
their seats down to the final play as
the two teams exchanged the advan
tage. With 2:30 remaining, Clackamas
went ahead 63-62 on a successful one-
and-one transaction by Morgan Hayes
(eight points, 10 rebounds), but that
would prove to be the team’s last lead.
Lane went on a 4-0 run before
Brieanne Thum (13 points) scored on
Chemeketa to a 28.8 percent shooting
performance from the field, including
a 1-20 effort from behind the arc.
“We played probably our best
defensive effort of the year,” said
Martineau. “We did a good job know
ing their personnel.”
Erickson was the game’s leading
scorer with 16 points; she also had 11
rebounds. Hayes had 12 rebounds and
10 points. Melissa Gibson and Ashley
Storms each had 10 points and two
steals.
Smith contributed 10
rebounds, six points and six assists.
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Jim Martineau
Head Coach
Woman’s basketbaß
a put-back to bring the Lady Cougars
within one with eight seconds remain
ing, 66-65. Clackamas was forced to
foul on the inbound pass and the
Titans closed the door with two suc
cessful free throws.
Cappie Smith led Clackamas with
16 points and five assists. Somer
Erickson collected 15 points and two
blocked shots.
Clackamas finished its league sea
son on a high note last Wednesday
with a 59-53 victory over Chemeketa.
In its sixth straight win,
Clackamas played tenacious defense
to
force
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