Given the Yakima Valley College men's journey to the NWAC Basketball Tournament, it should hardly seem discouraging that the Yaks have drawn No. 1-ranked Clackamas for their opening game. Yet YVC will in fact oppose the Cougars of Oregon City, Ore., at 2 p.m. Saturday in a first-round, loser-out game at Everett Community College.
Yakima Valley is 11-17 after taking a demanding route to its second NWAC berth in three years while Clackamas is 25-3 and held the top spot in the newest coach's poll. The Yaks, under fourth-year coach
London Wilson, dropped their final regular-season game last Wednesday night in Sherar Gym, 84-60 to Wenatchee Valley. The defeat left them tied with Walla Walla for the East Region's fourth and final postseason bid, and facing a play-in game last Saturday on the Warriors' court. Yakima Valley survived that challenge, 82-80. The YVC women have also qualified for the tournament, marking the first time since 2013 that both programs have reached the postseason.
Clackamas, the South Region champion, is led by sophomore guard Robert Ford, a 6-foot Portland product who is averaging 23.3 points per game-- third-best in the NWAC -- along with 10.5 rebounds, which also ranks third. Another guard, 6-3 soph Clay Sullivan averages 14.3 points for the Cougars, who at 93.9 points per outing are the second-highest scoring team in the NWAC. Defensively, the Cougs rank sixth at 79.1 points allowed.
YVC, led by 6-3 sophomore
Kieon Gill at 16.4 points and 9.5 boards, is eighth offensively, scoring 80.1 points per game while ranking 32nd defensively at 88.9. Yakima Valley and Clackamas did not meet during the regular season.
At Walla Walla last Saturday, Gill posted his 10th double-double of the campaign with 21 points and 14 rebounds while also collecting four steals.
Journey Buba had 22 points and four steals and
Trey Sanchez finished with 20 points and six steals. After YVC led for most of the second half, including 71-62 with 7:39 to play, the Warriors rallied for an 80-79 lead in the final minute. But a steal and layup by Sanchez with 49 seconds left put Yakima Valley back in front, 81-80, and Gill, fouled after rebounding a missed Walla Walla 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play, made one of two free throws. The Warriors missed a 3-ball with six seconds left, and although they got the rebound were unable to get off another shot. Although Walla Walla outrebounded the Yaks 36-23, the hosts committed 23 turnovers to YVC's 10.
The play-in could have been avoided with a YVC win at home last Wednesday, but Wenatchee Valley rode the 30 points if guard Malik Parsons who hit 12 of 18 shots including 5 of 8 from long distance. The Knights, the No. 3 playoff team from the East, shot 53 percent from the field and outboarded Yakima Valley 43-26.
