To hear coach Mike Arnold talk, one might think the Clark College men’s basketball team lost by 12 on Wednesday.
Instead, the Penguins did what they needed for an 81-69 win over South Puget Sound in their NWAACC opener in Olympia.
“It was a disjointed game at times for us,” Arnold said. “We’d go up by 25, then drop back to 12. … We did things we don’t normally do. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.”
A normally strong rebounding team, Clark only held a 34-31 rebounding edge on the Clippers.
The Penguins (10-1) committed 15 turnovers and struggled from 3-point range and the free throw line.
“But we stayed on it and didn’t allow our frustration to boil over,” Arnold said. “We were able to play well enough to win. I told the guys this game would not go down as a marquee game you’d want to show your children. But I’d take a disjointed win than a pretty loss any day.”
Austin Bragg had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Clark. Derek Owens added 13 points and Dominique Giles had 12.
Clark returns home Saturday for a 5 p.m. game against Highline. Saturday is Clark’s Coaches Against Cancer game. There will be a 50-50 raffle and the proceeds will be donated to help aid in breast cancer research.
WOMEN: Clark 75, South Puget Sound 49 — Chelsea Dyson and Deborah Simmers each scored 17 points as Clark used balanced scoring to beat South Puget Sound in Olympia.
Breanna Sorenson had 11 rebounds as Clark (8-3) held a 58-39 rebounding advantage.
“We also had 17 assists, which means we passed the ball well, shared the ball well,” Clark coach Nancy Boone said.
