SPORTS
11
21 WINS, ONE GOAL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CLAIMS 3 SEED, LOOKING TO CLINCH NWAC TITLE
STORY A N D PHOTO BY JAC O B THOMPSON
SPORTS EDITOR
When the 2017-2018 season was about to get under way,
Clackamas Community College’ s wom en’ s program
was looking to break 20 wins, again after finishing
17-12 last season.
Despite a loss on Sophomore Night to Chemeketa,
61-59, the Cougars reached their goal of 20-plus wins
finishing the regular season 21-7 and are headed to the
NWAC playoffs where they will face host-school Everett
Community College in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
The Cougars struggled offensively in the final regular
season game finishing the day 19 for 76 from the field,
only getting nine points from the bench.
“ It was eye-opening for us,” sophomore guard Nicole
Hermosillo-Wright said. “ We can’t just come in and
expect to roll over any other team.”
On the season the Cougars have averaged 38 percent
shooting from the field and have averaged 74.6 points
per game, but Saturday was a different story. Clackamas’
third leading scorer, freshman guard Alia Parsons (12.8
ppg), missed the game with the flu according to head
coach Jim Martineau. Clackamas only had two players
score in double digits, sophomore forward Kayce Mock
(21 points) and Hermosillo-Wright (14 points).
_ “ O ffensively, w e ’ re not very good right n ow ,”
Martineau said. “ That concerns me a lot, but w e’ve
got a good group and they’ ll get ready to go.”
“ Winning it all is always the
expectation.”
-K ennedy N ofziger
Martineau feels like the biggest thing his group needs
to focus on in practice leading up to Thursday’ s contest
is getting back to them selves; |
“ We were a little tight and tensè today,” Martineau
said; “ We just need to go play loose and we need to
defend better, force some turnovers and go score.”
Although the Cougars lost Saturday, Clackamas was
one of the best teams in the NWAC this year. Finishing
in the top ten in ppg, rebounds per game (47.7), steals
per game (11.7), blocks per game (5.8) and points
allowed per game (61.8). The Cougars never lost two
games in a row through 28, and only were only beaten
double digits twice. The Cougars longest winning streak
was eight and finished 12-4 in league play,
“All 11 that played for us this year all pulled for each
other,” Martineau said. “ I enjoyed this group as much
as any group I’ve ever had. The five sophomores were
great, the freshmen fit in well and everybody knew their
role. We competed in every game and had a chance to
win every game. ”
This playoff appearance will be the 18th in the last
19 seasons for the women’s program and expectations
are high.
“Winning it all is always the expectation,” sophomore
guard Kennedy Nofziger said. “We need to just keep
improving as a team and control what we can control.”
The Sweet 16 game against Everett (20-6, 9-3) will
tip-off at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
g ra p h ic p ro v id e d by NW AC
2018 NWAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
EVERETT COMMU N1TY COLLEGE, EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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Freshman CJ Buckley shooting a contested layup
against Chemeketa on Saturday, March 3.
NWAC women’s championship bracket
Clackamas Print ---------------------------------- _ , -------- <— g_ _ _ _ _ _ _
theclackam asprint.net
March 7, 2018