SPSCC women’s basketball advances to postseason

*Team will travel to Wenatchee Valley on Saturday

*Two honored on all-region team

For the first time since the 2008-09 season, the South Puget Sound Community College women’s basketball team is back in the postseason. The Clippers went 16-12 in regular-season play this year, earning the fourth seed out of the Northwest Athletic Conference’s West Region.

The seeding means the Clippers, who were 7-7 in West Region play, will travel to Wenatchee Valley, winners of the East Region, on Saturday, March 5 for a 3 p.m. road game. The winner will go on to face the winner of Bellevue-Clackamas on March 10 at the NWAC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament in Everett.

"The entire women's basketball program is extremely excited about the success we have had this season and are eager to gain some post season experience for the first time since the 2008-09 season,” SPSCC women’s coach Mike Moore said.

The Clippers were led by NWAC West Region Freshman of the Year Savannah McGill, who led the NWAC with 15.9 rebounds per contest, 3.5 boards more than the next closest player. McGill, named to the NWAC All-Western Region 1st Team, was also 13th in the NWAC in scoring, averaging 17 points per game, and was tied for 11th in blocks at just under one per game. Sophomore guard Laura James also hit the leaderboards, finishing 19th in the NWAC in steals per game at 2.21. James also averaged 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a team-best 2.1 assists. Fellow sophomores Krista Johnson (13.1 points and 1.75 steals) and Taylor Stroud (2 points per game) also provided important leaderships to the young squad. Johnson was named to the All-Western Region Second Team.

Moore said he’s looking forward to seeing his sophomores make the postseason, while also seeing his freshmen gain postseason experience ahead of next season too. But before all that, there’s still work to be done.

“We have come a long way since we first started this tournament journey back in September and will rely on our hard-working practice habits to carry us into what will be a tough environment at Wenatchee Valley on Saturday,” Moore said. “We look forward to the challenge and will work hard to represent the South Puget Sound family.”

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between SPSCC and Wenatchee Valley this season.