Clipper Men’s Basketball Wins Sports Moment of the Year Award

Members of the Clipper Men’s Basketball Team and SPSCC Athletic Director (in blue) pose with the Olympia & Beyond Sports Award for Best Sports Moment
Members of the Clipper Men’s Basketball Team and SPSCC Athletic Director (in blue) pose with the Olympia & Beyond Sports Award for Best Sports Moment. Photo Courtesy of Experience Olympia & Beyond.
June 10, 2025

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) congratulates the Clipper Men's Basketball Team on winning the Sports Moment of the Year Award at the 2025 Olympia & Beyond Sports Commission Sports Awards that took place on June 4, 2025.

"It's cool to be recognized for Sports Moment of the Year," said Clipper Men's Basketball Head Coach Zach Smith. "There were a lot of difficult moments throughout the year that made this special moment happen. I'm proud of our team, and it was a really cool night."

It was a historic year for the Clipper Men's Basketball team as they reached 25 wins, the most for the program since 2019, and finished divisional play with a record of 11-2, which was enough to clinch a share of the NWAC West Region title. The Clippers then finished the year with their best-ever finish in program history as they defeated the Edmonds Tritons and the Portland Panthers on their way to the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Basketball Championship Final Four.

The team also had a handful of individual standouts for the year, with Nehemiah Pollard being named to the First Team All-West Region Team, Marcus Lawson and Quincy Linton named to the Second Team All-West Region Team, and Linton also receiving All-Defense Team honors.

Lastly, Coach Smith himself was named West Region Coach of the Year, becoming the first Clipper Men's Basketball coach to win the award since Aaron Landon back in the 2018-19 season.

"I feel like this was a neat little bow on what was a great year," said Coach Smith about the Best Sports Moment Award win. "I think back to the start of the year when our guys set their team goals for the year. They wanted to win the division, and they wanted to win an NWAC Championship. We came really close to that championship, but having the best year in school history, being co-champs of the division, and being recognized for their efforts was important for them. It was a really special moment for the coaching staff to know that their hard work and trust in each other paid off."