Shoreline Community College basketball teams heading in opposite directions at region mid-point

Sophomore Joe Bodman leads the NWAACC in rebounding with 11.44 per game
Photo by Wilson Tsoi

By Douglas W. Palmer

Director of Athletics and Recreation/Wellness

Shoreline Community College

The Shoreline Community College Basketball Teams are heading in opposite directions as the season reaches the mid-point of the NWAACC Northern Region schedule. The men’s team is on the upswing, but the Lady Dolphins find it hard to get traction.

The SCC men’s team is 11-8 overall and 5-3 in the Northern Region. They have won 3 out of 4 games and just beat the NWAACC’s #1 ranked team, Bellevue College, to end the first half of the region schedule. The SCC women’s team is 8-9, the losers of their past 3 games and are 2-6 in the region.

The men’s squad, led by 2nd year head coach, Greg Turcott, is tied for 4th in the Northern Region with North Seattle Community College (the top four teams in the region make the NWAACC Basketball Championship at the end of the season). The Dolphins have 3 of the 4 toughest games left on the schedule at home, including a showdown with North Seattle on “Homecoming” night in the SCC Gym, on February 8th. North Seattle defeated SCC at NSCC 111 to 99 back on January 11.

SCC faces Skagit Valley College on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM in the SCC Gym to open the second half of the region schedule and Dolphins defeated SVC on January 4th in Mt. Vernon, WA 114 to 105.

The SCC Women’s Team faces the region’s #1 team, Skagit Valley College on Wednesday night in the SCC Gym at 5:30 PM, the Cardinals come into the game with a 8-0 record in the region and 13-5 overall record. The Lady Dolphins dropped 94-63 game to SVC to start the region schedule.

The SCC men’s team is averaging 104 points per game, running the famed “System” that Loyola Marymount University ran in the late 1980’s early 1990’s. The team has LMU legend, Bo Kimble, who led the NCAA in scoring in 1990, as an assistant coach this season to help implement the “System” which consists of a full court press on defense with a fast offense of shooting quickly every time down the court.

The SCC men are led by sophomore Avery Scharer who is scoring 18.18 points per game, 10th best in the NWAACC while he is leading the NWAACC in assists, with a 10.00 average per game. SCC has 5 other players scoring in double figures led by freshman Will Acromite, 16.47 ppg, sophomore Joe Bodman, 14.50 points per game, while leading the NWAACC in rebounding, with a 11.44 average per game, Earlie Dixon, 12.50 ppg, Rueben Donaldson, 10.35 ppg and Jordan Lupfer, 10.11 finish off the double digit scorers..

Sophomore Avery Scharer leads the NWAACC in assists with 10 per game and is 10th in the league in scoring, with a 18.18 average. Photo by Wilson Tsoi

Under 2nd year Coach James Johnson, the Lady Dolphins have improved this season, already passing last year’s win total by one game with 8 games to go, but points still have been an issue this year for the SCC squad. The women’s team is only scoring 56.41 points per game, while shooting only 32% from the floor.

The Lady Dolphins got off to a good start, having a 6-3 record going into region play, but has found the tough NWAACC Northern Region a hard nut to crack, only defeating winless Olympic College and Edmonds Community College in region play so far.

Jenny Voss leads the Lady Dolphins in scoring with a 10.11 average and
 is 12tin the NWAACC in steals, with 51 total. Photo by Wilson Tsoi

SCC is led by sophomore Jenny Voss, who is the only Lady Dolphin scoring in double figures, with a 10.11 average per game. Gnanamani Hooyman is second in scoring with a 9.94 average and Kaleigh Phillips is third with a 9.8 average. Hooyman, Phillips and freshman Michan Luecke are all averaging just over 5 rebounds per game while Voss is 12th in the NWAACC in steals, with 51 total.

Both teams have 8 games left in the season, with four games being at home and four games on the road. SCC games at home are:

• Wednesday February 1 Skagit Valley College 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM
• Wednesday February 8 North Seattle CC 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM
• Saturday February 11 Whatcom CC 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM
• Monday February 20 Peninsula College 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM

February 1 and 11, has the special promotion “Fly Your Paper Plane” to win a chance at two free airline tickets. February 8th is SCC Homecoming and February 20th is “Sophomore Night”.