Edmonds ends the WWCC men’s season-opening win streak on Friday, but the Warriors bounce back with a pounding of Green River.
EDMONDS, Wash. – Coach Jeff Reinland was somewhat philosophical after his Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball team lost the game — and its unblemished 7-0 mark — to Edmonds in a 92-70 defeat here Friday in the Northwest Athletic Conference Crossover Tournament.
“I hate to say this, but I think our guys needed this,” he said. “We’ve just got to take things one game at a time. We’re capable of winning on any night and capable of losing on any night.”
The former was the case here Saturday, as the Warrior men drubbed Green River CC, 101-67.
WWCC’s Landon Radliff poured in 38 points as the Warriors moved their record to 8-1.
“He had a big game and shot the ball pretty well,” Reinland said of Radliff, who hit 13-for-20 from the field, including 8-of-15 from three-point range.
The Warriors face Southwest Oregon at noon today to wrap up WWCC’s Crossover Tournament appearance. The game also is WWCC’s last before the holiday break.
Green River hit 17-for-35 from the three-point range in a narrow 71-70 loss to Southwest Oregon in tourney action Friday. But the following night, the Warriors held the Gators to
5-of-10 shooting on threes. With Radliff leading the charge, WWCC hit 14-of-33 from long range.
“They had our attention,” Reinland said, “and we had just had our worst game of the year the night before.” The Warriors’ man-to-man defense pressured the Gators from long range, stifling GRCC’s potent three-point shooting.
“We were able to take that away,” Reinland said, “and they didn’t really take it away from us.”
In addition to Radliff’s torrid shooting, teammate Marcus McKone scored 21 points and Kendall Watson tallied 17.
WWCC enter the Crossover tourney ranked No. 2 in the NWAC, while Edmonds was ranked No. 4.
“They were ready for us and they got us,” Reinland said.
Friday’s game against the host Tritons was close for about 30 minutes. “Then we made a few mistakes and it got away from us,” Reinland said. “We just were not mentally ready for that type of pressure and they took it to us pretty good.”
WWCC’s Brandon Porter tallied 18 points, followed by Radliff with 17, and Damen Thacker with 14.
With the season-opening win streak behind them, the Warriors “can kind of get back to reality now,” Reinland said. “We’re a good team, but we’ve got a lot to learn and got a lot of growing up to do.”
Edmonds 92, WWCC 70
WWCC (70) — Porter 18, Thacker 14, Radliff 17, Watson 11, Engstrom, Tiller, Smith, Anderson 1, Kitchen, Seme, Ramos, Albright 7, McKone 2. Totals 28-66, 7-13 70.
EDMONDS (92) — Higgins 15, Price 4, Frazier 5, Walton 29, LaCasse 12, Jackson 6, Doyle 8, Zamora, Morris 6, Turner 5, Hutt, Mattu 2. Totals 32-66 19-21 92.
Halftime — Edmonds 45-37. 3-point goals — WWCC 7, Edmonds 9. Total fouls — WWCC 17, Edmonds 16. Fouled out — WWCC, Engstrom. Technical fouls — none. Rebounds — WWCC 30, Edmonds 36. Turnovers — WWCC 12, Edmonds 11. Assists — WWCC 4, Edmonds 17.
WWCC 101, Green River 67
GRCC (67) — Archer 6, Wiebe 4, Gillies 7, Moawad 7, Sommerfield 9, Sherman, Bohannon 6, Ellerbee 10, Cawley 11, Beets 2, Butler, Aslanyan 5. Totals 25-51 12-19 67.
WWCC (101) — Porter 2, Thacker 8, Radliff 38, Watson 17, Engstrom 1, Tiller 4, Smith, Anderson, Kitchen 2, Seme, Ramos, Albright 8, McKone 21. Totals 39-71 9-13 101.
Halftime — WWCC, 48-32. 3-point goals — GRCC 5, WWCC 14. Total fouls — GRCC 15, WWCC 17. Fouled out — WWCC, Engstrom. Technical fouls — none. Rebounds — GRCC 25, WWCC 35. Turnovers — GRCC 21, WWCC 10. Assists — GRCC 7, WWCC 19.
Union Bulletin
