http://www.theclackamasprint.com
Wednesday, January29,2014
Valentine's Pay
poll page 5
Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR
www.TheClackamasPrint.com
An independent, student-run newspaper since 1966
Cougars continue march toward playoffs
Zak Laster
Ad Manager
F o llo w in g up one o f their
w orst losses at hom e this sea
son against C hem eketa, the
C lackam as Cougars m en’s bas
ketball team m ay finally start to
be hitting their stride. They w on
three in a row, beating U m pqua
C om m unity C o lleg e and M t.
H ood C om m unity C ollege on
the road before taking dow n
L inn-B enton at hom e, 74-60 on
Jan. 25.
“I feel like w e ’re starting
to com e together,’’ said Tim
Lott, sophom ore w ing. '“W e’re
a young team , w e ju s t have to
persevere through the losses
and learn from our m istakes.”
P laying L inn-B en to n the
coaches hoped to turn the game
into a slow tem po, grinder-style
gam e and for the m ost p art
it w as. L inn-B enton w as held
to 23 points in the first half.
W ith L inn-B enton struggling to
score against the zone tow ards
the end o f the first half, the
Cougars cam e out in the second
h a lf running the sam e defense.
L inn-B enton w as unable to
score for the first five m in
utes o f the second half, and
the C ougars w ere able to put
together a 17-2 scoring run to
give them selves a com fortable
lead for m ost o f the second half.
Still though, the coaches felt
there w as room for im prove
m ent.
“N ineteen .turnovers, th a t’s
a pretty ugly stat there, but we
did have 21 assists so w e’re
trying to do the right thing,
sharing the ball,” said Coach
C lif Wegner. “A lot o f tim es it
w as the right idea. It w as ju s t a
terrible pass.”
In the second half, w hen
L inn-B enton m ade a push to cut
the lead, the C ougars w ere able
to use a series o f hustle plays,
led by G rant Sitton and Lott.
Sitton finished the game w ith
21 points and six rebounds,
m aking nine o f his 13 shots,
including three big three-point
shots to help extend th eir lead
back to a com fortable margin.
“It felt good to h it shots,”
said Sitton. “I like the hom e
gam es b etter than th e aw ay
games. I know the hoops b et
ter,”
H elping Sitton on one o f his
three-point shots w as Lott. On
a loose ball rolling dow n the
baseline, L ott w as able to come
from the opposite free throw
line and chase the ball down
before it rolled out o f bounds,
flipped it over to Sitton, who
w as anxiously w aiting to knock
down his third three pointer o f
the second half.
“T hat w as a g reat h u stle
play,” W egner said.
T his C ougar team had their
share o f struggles earlier in the
season but there are signs that
this team has begun to gel.
“We have a lo t o f fresh
m an, and freshm an got to m ake
m istakes to learn and becom e
sophom ores, the little things
tak e tim e,” L ott said after the
gam e.“ W e’re learning from our
losses.”
W ith their three-gam e w in
ning streak the C ougars are
in a g o o d ,sp o t as their m arch
tow ards the playoffs continues.
The Cougars currently sit two
gam es out o f first place w ith
seven gam es rem aining.
“W e’re pretty confident now,
w e feel like w e can w in every
gam e,” W egner said. “We ju s t
have to focus one game at a
tim e.”
The next opportunity to see
the Cougars play at hom e is
Feb. 5 at R andall H all against
Portland C om m unity College.
I f eel like we’re
starting to come
together. We ’re a
young team, we
just have to perse
vere through the
losses and learn
from our mis
takes. ”
-
C a m p u s blood drive
wants your veins
Patty Salazar
Editor-In-Chief
N o , vampires are not attacking
campus, but there are people want
ing your precious blood lurking
behind the walls of Gregory Forum.
The American Red Cross and
Clackamas Community College
Associated Student Government
are working together this week to
host the quarterly blood drive, and
they’re encouraging all students,
instructors, staffers and community
members to participate.
For every person who donates
blood, three people are helped.
If you are one o f the many peo
ple who cannot stand the thought
o f needles, jest assured that there is
someone who is willing to sit with
you and calm your nerves.
He goes by Dean Wright, an
officer of ASG’s public affairs divi
sion.
“I am not going to sugar coat it,”
Wright said. “It hurts in the begin
ning. I will personally stand by you
and talk to you and be best friends.”
. Ali Miller, a CCC nursing stu
dent, has always wanted to donate
blood, she said. But she has never
been able to meet the weight
requirement o f 110 pounds for
women.
“There are so many medical
instances where people would need
blood transfusions,” Miller said. “It
is a matter o f life and death.”
The blood drive will take place
in the Gregory Forum from 10 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and
Thursday. Although the ASG office
is taking appointments for those
wanting to donate, walk-ins are
welcomed too.
ASG will be offering students
snacks while donors rest. The Red
Cross will also be offering free
T-shirts to all who donate.
The commitment is small and
the pay off is enormous: potentially
saving three lives.
Daphne Mattew, director o f
communication for the Red Cross,
said blood supplies will go to local
hospitals first than to where ever
the demand is needed.
“Almost always people tell
me,” said Mattew. “If I would have
known it was that easy I would
have started a long time ago.”