NWAC Basketball: Lower Columbia hoopers poised for playoff runs
Postseason Preview – Everything you need to know before the LCC Red Devils tip off at NWAC Championships
By Rick McCorkle for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com
NWAC Basketball / Postseason Preview
The fifth-ranked Lower Columbia College men’s basketball team, and the seventh-ranked LCC women’s basketball team have similar paths to take in their quest for the ultimate gold at the Northwest Athletic Conference Basketball Championships.
The tournaments, which begin Wednesday at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, will see the LCC men face Clark College of Vancouver at noon Wednesday, while the LCC women will be idle until they face Chemeketa at 6 p.m. on Friday.
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College Men’s Basketball
Red Devils shooting to repeat
The LCC men (20-6 overall, 10-4 in the West Region) are 5-2 in their last seven games, having lost to region champ Green River 86-79, and to tournament non-qualifier Grays Harbor 73-70. During the seven-game span, the Red Devils claimed solid region wins over Centralia (76-54) and Tacoma (106-64), while getting the other three wins by five or fewer points.
LCC averaged 80.0 points per game (15th in the NWAC), and are in the top-10 in points allowed (71.2, fifth), rebounds (37.8, seventh), assists (15.5, seventh), and turnovers (12.0, eighth).
Individually, James Grose leads the Devils in scoring at 15.7 points per game (26th in the NWAC), and is averaging 2.5 assists. Skyler Schmidt is averaging 12.5 points, 9.2 rebounds (sixth in the NWAC) and 2.4 assists, and Shane Douma-Sanchez is at 12.5 points and 4.5 assists (seventh in NWAC assists). Noah Schow is averaging 11.2 points and 6.6 rebounds, Javares Reid is averaging 10.7 points, Dalton Stevens is scoring 10.6 points and grabbing 5.1 rebounds per outing, and Chance White is tossing in 10.0 points per game. Kenyan Jackman-Thomas is pulling 6.9 rebounds per outing.
Grose, Schmidt, Schow and Douma-Sanchez were all named to the NWAC all-West Region second-team, and Schow was placed on the region's Defensive Team.
The Devils face 10th-ranked Clark, which finished third in the South Region at 17-12 overall, 9-7 in the region. The Penguins are coached by Castle Rock native Kevin Johnson, and is assisted by his son, Brock, also a CR native.
Clark averaged 76.4 points per game (21st in the NWAC), and allowed 74.3 points per outing (eighth). The Penguins are second in rebounds (39.3), 23rd in assists (13.2), and second in turnovers (10.2).
Tristan Pratt paces the Clark attack, and is fifth in the NWAC in scoring (20.1 points) and 11th in rebounding (8.3). Ari Richardson is 13th in scoring at 17.3 points to go with 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists, and Noah Tostovrsnik averages 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds. Micah Gentry averages 9.6 points and 2.7 assists, and Zion Milare adds 7.5 points and 2.3 assists.
Pratt was placed on the South Region's first-team and was named the region's Freshman of the Year, and Richardson was named to the second-team. Tostovrsnik was placed on the region's Defensive Team.
If the Red Devils get past Clark, they would play the winner of the Peninsula/Treasure Valley matchup in the Elite 8 at 2 p.m. Thursday, also in Pasco.
Women’s College Basketball
LCC ready to weather the Chemeketa Storm
The Red Devils (23-4, 11-1 in the West Region), winners of the Region, were fourth in the NWAC in scoring (76.9) and assists (17.2), fifth in fewest turnovers (15.4), ninth in points allowed (58.4), and 11th in rebounding (41.9).
Angelica Askey was 16th in the NWAC in scoring at 16.0 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Jaci Gonnie averaged 13.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and Shailoh Li'ili'i averaged 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds. Adrian Wright checked in at 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists, and Regan Brewer pulled 4.3 rebounds and dished 3.1 assists.
Askey was named the West Region Freshman of the Year, and joined Li'ili'i on the NWAC West Region first-team. Gonnie was placed on the second-team, Brewer was named the region's Defensive Player of the Year, and Askey placed on the region's All-Defensive Team. LCC's Lucas Myers was named the West Region Coach of the Year.
LCC faces ninth-ranked Chemeketa (20-8, fourth in the South Region at 10-5). The Storm averaged 66.8 points per game (14th in the NWAC), allowed 60.0 points (12th), grabbed 36.7 rebounds per outing (26th), dished 13.2 assists (14th), and averaged 19.7 turnovers (22nd).
Patricia Mike led the Chemeketa attack at 14.3 points and 2.0 assists, with Ava Rubio close behind at 13.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Ella Holwege tossed in 12.0 points, grabbed 6.8 rebounds and handed out 3.1 assists, Mia Fullbright was good for 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds, and Ashley Barba added 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Holwege was named to the South Region second-team, and Rubio was selected to the region's Defensive Team.
The winner of the LCC/Chemeketa matchup faces either eighth-ranked Columbia Basin or 13th-ranked Skagit Valley in the Elite 8 at 4 p.m. Saturday at Columbia Basin College.
About The Author: Rick McCorkle is a respected former sports reporter for The Daily News. He previously covered the Lower Columbia College beat, in addition to other local sports, across several decades and two different centuries. To read the previous Red Devils Report from McCorkle, click here.
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