VANCOUVER, WA – Clark College (6-2) held off a late surge from Centralia College (2-7), securing a 65-60 victory in a hard-fought battle that was closer than the final score indicated. Despite shooting struggles from the field, Clark's defensive effort and second-chance points proved crucial in the win.
Centralia's Ella Baumgartner had an outstanding performance, leading all scorers with 28 points, including 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Her dominant play kept the game close throughout, but the rest of the Centralia team struggled to find consistency. The Blazers were 22-of-56 from the field (39.3%) and 5-of-13 from three-point range. Centralia's key contributors were Baumgartner, who also had 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Abi Lundblad, who added 12 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.
On the other side, Clark relied on a balanced attack despite poor shooting. The Penguins shot just 21-of-91 (23.1%) from the field and a disappointing 4-of-24 from three-point range. However, they capitalized on their free throw opportunities, going 19-of-30 from the line, and their offensive rebounds were critical. Clark won the battle on the boards, securing 46 total rebounds, compared to Centralia's 33.
The game's opening quarter saw Clark jump out to a 25-10 lead, powered by aggressive defense and a strong first-half performance from Jayda Jackson, who finished with 15 points. However, the second quarter saw Clark's offense sputter, making just 2-of-20 from the field. Centralia, led by Baumgartner and Lundblad, used the opportunity to chip away at the deficit and trailed by just 9 points at halftime.
Clark's defense picked up in the third quarter, and despite more struggles offensively, they built a 19-point lead in the fourth. However, a late push by Centralia, including Baumgartner's relentless scoring, helped them close the gap. The Blazers cut the lead to just 4 points with under a minute to play, but Clark's defense and free throws in the final moments sealed the win.
Ella Botnar made her presence felt in the paint, contributing 17 points, 12 of which came from the free-throw line, while TT Gaopoa added 10 points off the bench. Despite their offensive inefficiency, Clark's depth, including 31 points from the bench, made the difference in the game.
Ultimately, Clark's resilience on the boards and at the free-throw line was too much for Centralia to overcome. The Penguins look to build on this hard-fought win as they prepare for their next matchup on the road December 20th at South Puget Sound in Olympia, WA.
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