SPSCC season struggles continue

The South Puget Sound Community College Clippers mens basketball team hit the court on January 29 looking for a bookend to their one and only victory of the year, which came on January 2 at Lower Columbia College. This time, with LCC in Oly, SPSCC ran out to an early 12 point lead that had the Red Devils sweating and their head coach fuming. Alas, the SPSCC bookshelf is still uneven, as the Red Devils righted their own ship and left town with a 60-49 victory.

SPSCC gave LCC fits in the early going with their all-zone all-the-time defensive front. Facing the unfamiliar scheme, the Red Devils looked confused and uncomfortable and continually settled for long range three point attempts during the first ten minutes of action. “We’re the only team that is totally zone in the NWAACC, as far as I know. It just gives us a better chance to win,” said Clipper’s coach, Aaron Landon.

Clearance Kaye and Jonathan Roberts led the Clippers charge in the first half, and the duo slowly turned a four point deficit into a 12 point lead, 20-8, with 7 minutes to go in the half.

One possession later, Red Devils coach Jim Roffler called timeout. He was tired of the outside shooting and, in no uncertain terms, instructed his team to start getting the ball into their post players and attacking the soft middle of the zone.

With the offensive adjustment and a bout of foul trouble afflicting the shorthanded Clippers, who dressed seven players but played only six, LCC managed a 13 point swing and reclaimed the lead at 23-22 with 25 seconds left in the half when Sherif Taha connected on corner three.

“They made that early (15-2) run and that was tough for us,” conceded Landon.

Out of the half, LCC looked ready to take control of the game when they went on a 4-0 run, but one SPSCC free throw and a Kaye three pointer re-knotted the game at 27 all. The game would be tied twice more, once at 30 and again at 32 with 15 minutes remaining in the game, before LCC began to put real distance between themselves and the Clippers.

Playing with a short crew as they have all season, fatigue and foul trouble began to take its toll on SPSCC. Shots that were falling in the first half were coming up short and entry passes to the post regularly bounced off of brick-hard hands. By the end of the game, four of the six SPSCC players were hampered with four fouls each. With SPSCC struggling, LCC slowed the pace down and ate up clock, while converting easy layups off of backdoor cuts or shooting free throws when the Clippers were forced to foul. In the 15 minutes, LCC outscored the Clippers 28-17.

“Winning that game down there was huge for these guys,” said a glum Landon after the loss. “That one there was a tough one to lose.”

The Clippers roster is composed entirely of true freshmen this year, and as such, struggles are to be expected. “We’ve got a class of freshman here that we can teach as a group,” explained Landon as he looked to the future. “Our whole message this year has been growth.”

SPSCC (1-17) hosts Pierce CC on February 5, and Tacoma CC on February 8.