Clark women turn focus to defense

By most measures, last season was a success for the Clark College women’s basketball team.

But despite finishing 26-4, it didn’t feel quite right to coach Al Aldridge.

“The defense just bothered me last year,” Aldridge said. “We didn’t spend enough time on it, especially the man-to-man aspect. I just don’t think we targeted it enough early in the season.”

That’s the reason Clark is taking a defense-first mentality into this season. The Penguins are 2-1 and play their home opener Friday against Clackamas.

It’s not like Clark’s defense was terrible last year. The Penguins allowed 60.2 points per game, fifth best in the Northwest Athletic Conference.

But that wasn’t the sort of lock-down, fluster-the-opponent defense that was the hallmark of Aldridge’s teams at Prairie High School, where he won 710 games and six state titles in 32 seasons.

Last year, Clark averaged 80.9 points per game, second best in the conference. The Penguins had the West division MVP in Brooke Bowen, who now plays for Chico State.

Aldridge believes that high-powered offense let Clark get away with some defensive lapses. He’s not assuming the Penguins will have that luxury this season.

“We just spent a great deal of time in this preseason just trying to get better at stopping dribble penetration,” he said. “There’s so many tweaks and wrinkles in the system. They can’t think about it. They just need to react.”

Four players are back from last year — point guard Taylor Howlett, guard Shantell Jackson, guard-forward Sarah McKee and guard-forward Micaela Bitanga.

But injuries have already hit the Penguins. Jackson, who scored 30 and 24 points in Clark’s first two games, injured her knee and is awaiting results of an MRI. McKee is playing through a back injury.

At a two-year school, freshmen can become key players right away. That’s the case with Alexa Orcutt, a freshman center from Ellensburg who is averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. She is shooting 73 percent from the field.

Orcutt (6-foot) and Amber Hilvers (6-foot-1) are the only Clark players 6-foot or taller. That’s one reason man-to-man perimeter defense is so important for Clark.

“We’re a little smaller. We’re quicker,” Bitanga said. “We have two good post players, but you’ll probably see us pressing more this year. More people are buying into the defense than last year.”

Clark hopes to ride that defense back to the NWAC tournament, where Clark finished fifth last season.

“We want to get to the NWAC tournament for sure, that’s our number one goal,” Howlett said. “But he have preseason, regular season and postseason. We’re trying to set goals for each of those.”

Clark women’s basketball schedule

NOVEMBER

21 Blue Mountain, W, 90-67

22 Whatcom, W, 67-57

23 Centralia, L, 71-62

DECEMBER

5 Clackamas, 5 p.m.

9 Portland CC, 6 p.m.

11 George Fox JV, 6 p.m.

18-20 Mt Vernon Crossover

JANUARY

3 Green River*, 3 p.m.

10 at Lower Columbia*, 3 p.m.

12 Pierce*, 6 p.m.

14 at Tacoma*, 6 p.m.

17 at Grays Harbor*, 1 p.m.

21 Centralia*, 6 p.m.

24 S. Puget Sound*, 3 p.m.

28 at Highline*, 6 p.m.

31 at Green River*, 3 p.m.

FEBRUARY

7 Lower Columbia*, 3 p.m.

11 at Pierce*, 6 p.m.

14 Tacoma*, 3 p.m.

18 Grays Harbor*, 6 p.m.

21 at Centralia*, 3 p.m.

25 at S. Puget Sound*,6 p.m.

28 Highline*, 3 p.m.

MARCH

7-10 NWAC Tournament, Kennewick

• denotes NWAC league game

Home games at O’Connell Sports Complex, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way