Basketball season is in full swing at Linn-Benton. The school’s men’s and women’s teams each played two games last week, going 1-1 in both instances.
The men opened their week against Columbia Basin, the NWAC’s top-ranked team in the preseason poll, at the CBC Invitational on December 8. The Beaks fell 72-46, dropping to 3-3 on the season. Sophomore Bennett Bos led LB in scoring with 14 points, while sophomore TJ Zimmermann had a team-best six rebounds. The defeat marked Linn-Benton’s third straight away game in a row and second straight loss.
The Beaks rebounded the next day against 6-3 Spokane, winning 78-69 to finish off their two-game road stretch at the invitational. Freshman Cade Smith led the team with 22 points while Bos led the team in rebounds with 10. With the victory, Linn-Benton regained their winning record, now sitting at 4-3 on the season.
The women also opened their week with a loss, falling to 4-2 Green River, last year’s NWAC runner up, on December 8 with a score of 59-52. Freshman BettyAnn Wilson led the team with 12 points off the bench, while Natalia McBride recorded a team-best nine rebounds. The loss was the team’s first of the season, with Linn-Benton holding a 5-1 record following the game.
Like the men’s team, the women also finished their week with a win, dominating winless Tacoma 70-51 on the road December 9. Sophomore Muriel Jones-Hoisington led the Beaks with 21 points while Wilson had the rebound lead with nine. The victory leaves the Beaks with a 6-1 record entering their next slate of games.
This week, the LBCC women will play on December 15 and 16 at the Lane Crossover. They’ll face 5-3 Walla Walla at 4 p.m. on the 15th and 3-2 Whatacom at 2 p.m. the following day. As for the men, they get the week off, next taking the court on December 20 at home against Blue Mountain at 7:30 p.m.