Last week started off with two thrillers for LBCC basketball. On February 21, the Linn-Benton women defeated 4-21 Clark with a score of 54-51 on the road. Although the Beaks held the lead for most of the fourth quarter, Clark was never out of the game until the very end.
Freshman Natalia McBride led the team with 15 points while freshman Katelynn Weaver added a team-best seven rebounds.
As for the LBCC men, they fell by two, 84-82, to 7-17 Clark in the following game. Despite taking a commanding 45-31 lead at halftime, the Beaks weren’t able to stop the Clark comeback, with the Cougars outscoring LB 53-37 in the second half.
Despite the loss, sophomore T.J. Zimmermann had a career game, leading the Beaks with 15 rebounds and 38 points, the most he’s ever scored in an NWAC game.
Three days later, the Beaks were back at it, this time at home. However, the familiar court didn’t result in a win for the women’s team, with LBCC falling to 12-12 Chemeketa 55-46. It was the Beaks’ third-lowest scoring output of the season.
LBCC shot just 27.9% on the night, with freshman BettyAnn Wilson being the lone Roadrunner to score over 10 points with 19. She also led the team in rebounds with nine.
The men took the court next, defeating 11-13 Chemeketa in a low-scoring, 53-50 game. Freshman Cade Smith led the Beaks in points with 15. Zimmermann was contained to just six points, but still had a team-best 12 rebounds.
Basketball Playoff Picture
Following the week, the LBCC men now sit at 13-12 on the year with a 7-6 record in the NWAC South. They will next take the court on February 26 against Clark at home at 7:30 p.m. at home. After that, they have just two games left in the regular season: away at Lane on February 29 and home against Clackamas March 2. Per the NWAC playoff picture, the Beaks are currently the fourth seed in the NWAC South but on pace for a third-seed finish as Umpqua is ineligible for postseason play. With the top four teams in the NWAC South making the playoffs and only three games left in the season, LBCC has a strong chance at making the postseason.
As for the women’s team, they sit at 15-8 on the year with a 7-6 record in conference play. Despite a better regular season record and an identical NWAC South record to the men’s team, they remain the sixth seed in the NWAC South. Although not eliminated from the playoffs yet, LBCC will have an uphill battle to make the postseason, needing to jump Portland (9-6 in conference) and Clackamas (9-5 in conference) in the standings with just three games left. Their remaining games will be the same matchups as the men’s team, against Clark, Lane, and Clackamas – just starting two hours earlier.
Baseball Completes Week 2
As for LBCC’s baseball team, they ended their second week of play the same as their first, sitting at .500. With home games on February 24-25, the Beaks split a four-game series with Clark.
LBCC won the first matchup 2-1, lost the middle two with scores of 1-0 and 5-2, and then won the finale 4-3. Both Beaks victories were decided in 10 innings. Pitchers Gabe Brabec and Seth Dreeszen recorded wins for the Beaks.
The Beaks now sit at 4-4 on the young season. They’ll begin league play this Saturday, with a two-game series against Mt. Hood at home starting at noon.
