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SPORTS
Cougars look to bounce back
JACOB THOMPSON
CLACKAMAS LOOKS TO W IN 2O-PLUS GAMES AFTER GOING 17-12 IN 2016-17
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Clackamas Community College women’s basketball team
looks to keep their program’s winning tradition alive as the
2017-18 season approaches. The Cougars have advanced to
the NWAC playoffs 16 out of the last 17 years.
Last season the Cougars finished 17-12 overall and 9-7 in
league play, earning them a third-plaCe finish in the South
Region and art invitation to the NWAC playoffs, where they
were matched up with Walla Walla and lost 74-63."
“The last couple o f years have been kind of down for our
standards,” said Head Coach Jim Martineau. “It wasn’t a ,
terrible year. We had a couple injuries. I was pretty pleased
with our finish.- We qualified for the [NWAC] tournament,
and got beat by a Walla Walla team in the first round that
made it to the [finals].”
Clackamas will return five players from last year’s roster
with sophomore wing Kayce Mock (12.45 points per game,
2.2 assists per game, 11.4 rebounds per game, fifth best in
NWAC, along with 1.79 steals per game, and 1.72 blocks
per game, 10th best in NWAC), Kennedy Nofziger (2.97ppg,
1.17apg, 1.31rpg), Brittany McCormick (7.45ppg, 3.93apg,
4.34rpg, l,34spg), Audrey Barden (Red-shirted), and Nicolle
Hermosillo-Wright (5.45ppg, 4.34rpg, 1.24spg in 2015-16;
Red-shirted in 2016-17).
“F iji hopeful that it will [go better this year],” said Mock.
“It seems like we’re more a team this year, and everyone
shares the same goal.’’ ,
-
,
The Cougars added Kayce Mock’s sister, Ricki Mock, who
transferred from Southwestern Oregon Community College
to play with her sister. Ricki Mock averaged 6.93ppg, 2apg,
7,97rpg, andl.45spg at SWOCC in 2015-16. Alia Parsons, who
averaged 21.4 points, 4,6 steals and 3.9 rebounds her senior
season at Silverton High School, transferred from Grand
Canyon University to CCC after redshirting her freshman
year. Both players should help Clackamas’ offense, which
averaged 64.34ppg,.and was down from 71.94ppg in 2015-16.
“ It seems like we’re more o f a
team this year and everyone
shares the same goal.”
-K a yce Mock
“Our normal expectations are 20, 22, 23-wins, and give
ourselves a chance at the end of the year at the tournament,”
said Martineau. “The region championship is important to
me, but not the overall goal. I want to be playing well come
tournament time.”
The Cougars also added a great group of freshmen that
includes freshman post Kalo Uhila (8.4ppg, 7.0rpg, and 2bpg
in 2016-17) from Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska,
and freshman guard Miranda Jensen (first team all-league
three consecutive years in the Sky-Em League) from Elmira
High School in Elmira, Ore.
“The com m unity we have here is aw esom e,” said
Hermosillo-Wright. “I’ve been here three years, and every
year the team gels perfect, and we ail get along.”
Martineau will be entering his 20th season with Clackamas
and his 18th season as head coach. Over his 18 years in the
position, the Cougars have averaged 22 wins a season and
have only failed to win 20 or more games four times. The
Cougars have won seven NWAC South Region championships.
Martineau was the head coach when the Cougars captured
their first NWAC championship in the 2003-04 season.
“I really like Jim,” said Hermosillo-Wright. “He makes it
fun, and we get stuff done, which is definitely a nice change
from high school.”
The Cougars open their season on Nov. 18 against Centralia
Community College (18-11 overall, 11-3 in the West Region
last season).
photo by Doug Fry
Cougars practice for the upcoming season.
Clackamas Print
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