SCC hoops: Women see future in playoffs; men start shaky

Photo by Craig Chan

An exciting season is on the way for SCC basketball teams.

The SCC women’s basketball season opened Nov. 21 with the Shoreline Thanksgiving Tournament. The Dolphins dominated the three-day event.

They won their first game against Lady Express, escaping with a 68-61 victory. Everett didn’t prove to be stiff competition either, as Shoreline took their second tournament win the following day. On the final day of the competition, Shoreline took home the championship title against Bellevue. SCC’s tournament performance would only be a sample of what was to come.

Two days later, Shoreline continued as a dominant force in a game against Grays Harbor, winning 85-65. The women’s court performance was unrivaled, as they played incredible man-to-man defense keeping Grays Harbor pinned for eventual defeat. Center Ebonee Newson contributed 27 points and guard Amanda Merkley finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.

The Dolphins’ seemingly unstoppable winning streak ended Nov. 29 against Fraser Valley. Shoreline’s second post-tournament home game was a disappointing 65-49 loss.

For the next game, against Grays Harbor Dec. 2, the Dolphins were back in form. Center Newson once again displayed tremendous shooting accuracy and scored 33 points, over one-third of the team’s total, along with 15 rebounds.

The Portland Panthers were the women’s next scheduled opponents. Taking the lead by 12 points after the first half, the Dolphins held control throughout the second half, ending the game at 91-66.

Merkley, Newson and Lindsey Dennis all came out with double-digit points. This sixth win placed Shoreline into the top position both in the North Division and the overall league.

SCC’s women’s basketball team is definitely out to make a lasting impression in the NWAACC this year. Expect to see the Dolphins make it to the playoffs.

On the other side of the court, the men’s basketball team has a hard act to follow. This year’s team consists of 12 players with a handful of veterans. Three of the players, Bruce Cooper (center), Andre Hollinshed (guard) and David Stephania (forward) stand at a towering 6 feet 8 inches. This may prove to be a great advantage for their defense.

Shoreline’s men’s team lost their first game 88-78 to Green River on Nov. 22. But Shoreline is an offensive team to be reckoned with, which the men proved in their next game against Fraser Valley. They came out in full force in the first quarter, hitting their open shots. Guard Mandell Jones ended the game with 20 points and six steals as Shoreline won 76-69.

The third game of the season, against Portland, came the same day as the women’s sixth win. In the last few seconds of the second half, Shoreline tied the game to bring it into overtime. The victory, however, slipped through the men’s fingers, and Portland took the lead by four points to bring the game to an end at 89-85.

After the final game of fall quarter, the men’s record stood 1-2. They’ll have to recover from the shaky start and continue to play consistent offense and utilize good ball movement if they wish to follow the women’s season trend into playoff contention.

The first game of winter quarter will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, at home against Edmonds.