Cougars bond on the court
ohotos b v A u stin Boltz
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO IMPROVE ON LAST SEASON’S SUCCESS
WITH NEW AND RETURNING PLAYERS
BY TY DELBRIDGE
It has been 12 years since the lady Cougars have been
able to call them selves the queens o f the Northwest
Athletic Conference. Last year the w om en’ s basketball
team went 20-10. They made the playoffs with scoring a
team average of 71 points a game, but lost in the regional
round against Bellevue College.
The Cougars look to bounce back this season and
attem pt to make a further run into the playoffs. Head
coach and Athletic Director Jim Martineau said he has
the same goals as he does each season.
“ P o sitio n ourselves by the end o f region play in
February so th a t we qualify for NWAC cham pionships
and are playing well enough to make a deep run in the
tournam ent,” Martineau said.
“ I am always excited to watch them grow as individuals
and a team ,” he said. “ It never gets old to see a group of
individuals buy in to a com m on goal and work toward
it. We are more athletic than we have been the past
couple o f seasons. I also think we will shoot the ball
well as a group.”
Some of the key returners include sophomore guards
Lexi P ittm an, Rachel John ny and Tieranny M arshall-
McBride.
Both Pittm an and Johnny played in all 30 games last
season.
“ S h e’ s a good 3-p o in t shooter w ith ability to play
m ultip le p o sitio n s,” M artineau said o f P ittm an . O f
Johnny he said, “ She’s got an excellent mid-range shot.”
Sophom ore guard M arshall-M cB ride played in 28
o f the 30 games last year. M artineau mentioned that
Marshall-McBride will compete for playing time at both
the wing and point guard positons. She spoke about her
chemistry with the team.
“ I feel extremely comfortable with my teammates and
coaches because they always make me feel like a member
o f their fam ilies,” M arshall-M cBride said.
This her second year with the program, and she is ready
to embrace her role as a leader on this team .
“ As a team m ate, I stand as a leader, and [hope] that
any girl on the team would be comfortable coming to me
about anything from plays all the way to boy issues,”
Marshall-McBride said. She is studying for her transfer
degree and hopes to eventually obtain her master’ s in
Homeland Security.
F re sh m a n K en n ed y N o fz ig e r isr e n jo y in g her
new experience playing college basketball, and she
com m ented on her team .
“ So far I really love m y team and the coaching
s ta ff,” Nofziger said. “ Overall my experience has been
nothing short of positive. I am looking forward to games
beginning, and seeing where we will sit in conference.”
The lady Cougars’ first game takes place at hom e o n
Nov. 18 at 5 p.m . versus George Fox University in Randall
Gym . The firs t conference home game is Jan. 4 at 5:30
p .m . against Linn-B enton Com m unity College.
Above: Sydni Dalton drives the ball inside the three-
point line during practice Nov. 3.
Bottom left: Lexi Pittman drives to the hoop against
Rachel Johnny.
Bottom right: Rachel Johnny watches as Lexi Pittman
lays it up during practice.
Clackamas Print NOVEMBER 9,2016 thedackamasprint.com 7