OREGON CITY, Ore. — A frigid shooting night by his Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball team left coach Jeff Reinland more than a little concerned following an 85-50 loss to Edmonds here Saturday.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Reinland said after his team shot 15-for-75 (20 percent) from the field, including a sub-zero 2-for-40 (5 percent) from three-point range.
“I’m very, very concerned about the future of our team and the future of our psyche,” the shell-shocked coach continued.
The Warriors (10-3 record) opened the Clackamas Holiday Tournament here on Thursday, dropping a tight 93-90 overtime battle with the host Clackamas squad.
WWCC recovered on the tourney’s second night, downing Centralia, 91-67, Friday behind the twin 23-point scoring efforts of Damen Thacker and Marcus McKone.
Teammate Landon Radliff contributed 21 points in the win.
“It was a good bounce-back game,” Reinland said. “The kids played hard.”
But a night after shooting 40.5 percent from the floor against Centralia, the Warriors turned in a permafrost shooting performance against Edmonds.
“Nobody on my team could make a basket,” Reinland said. After 33 years of basketball, “it was the worst shooting night I’ve been a part of in any way, shape or form.
“It just snowballed on us,” he continued. “We were ice cold in the first half, and got even colder in the second half.”
Reinland’s team gets a chance to thaw out at 8 p.m. this Wednesday, as the Warriors host Spokane in a Northwest Athletic Conference East Division opener at the WWCC Dietrich Dome.
“We just have not shot the ball well in the last few games,” Reinland said, noting that the shooting night against Edmonds was “a pretty tough pill to swallow.
“I’m just hoping we can bounce back and get playing better.”
WWCC 91, Centralia 67
WWCC (91) — Porter 7, Thacker 23, Radliff 21, Watson 6, Engstrom 4, Tiller, Smith, Anderson, Kitchen 5, Albright 2, McKone 23. Totals 32 12-19 91.
Centralia (67) — Curry 6, Peppinger 5, Meadows 9, Eiman 3, Gilson 18, Clarke 12, Stringham 4, Brown, Prangley 10, Filley. Totals 24 16-29 67.
WWCC4546—91
Centralia2146—67
3-point goals — WWCC 15, Centralia 3. Total fouls — WWCC 19, Centralia 19. Fouled out — Prangley (Centralia). Technical fouls — Albright (WWCC). Rebounds — WWCC 47, Centralia 43. Turnovers — WWCC 12, Centralia 25. Assists — WWCC 14, Centralia 8.
Edmonds 85, WWCC 50
Edmonds (85) — Higgins 13, Price 14, Frazier 2, Walton 19, LaCasse, Jackson 5, Doyle 4, Zamora 1, Morris 12, Turner 8, Hutt 5, Mattu 2, Lea. Totals 31 17-27 85.
WWCC (50) — Porter 9, Thacker 4, Radliff 13, Watson 4, Engstrom 11, Tiller, Smith, Anderson 2, Kitchen, Albright 4, McKone 3. Totals 15 18-26 50.
Edmonds4540—85
WWCC2822—50
3-point goals — Edmonds 6, WWCC 2. Total fouls — WWCC 22, Edmonds 23. Fouled out — none. Technical fouls — Radliff (WWCC). Rebounds — Edmonds 71, WWCC 39. Turnovers — Edmonds 18, WWCC 9. Assists — Edmonds 20, WWCC 4.
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