Turnovers cost the Clark College women’s basketball team a solid second place as Lower Columbia beat the the Penguins 59-57 Monday in Longview.
Lower Columbia (16-9, 9-4) is now a half-game behind second-place Clark (11-11, 9-3) in the NWAACC West Division standings.
Toni Duroha, who led all scorers with 27 points while playing 39 minutes, put Clark ahead 55-53 with 1:11 to play.
A Clark turnover led to LCC tying the game with 31 seconds to go, and then a second turnover led to LCC’s Arineshia Smith scoring the go-ahead basket with 7 seconds to play.
Clark never got a last shot off as LCC made a steal of a pass and ran out the clock. The loss ended a four-game win streak for the Penguins.
“We were outrebounded by about 12, and that was a determining factor late,” Clark coach Al Alridge said. “We gave them too many second chance points.”
Dominique Johnson had 18 points before having to leave the game with 6 minutes to play due to leg cramps.
Clark was also playing without Nicolette Bond, who has a knee injury.
“We need to get back in the saddle,” Aldridge said. “It’ll be a tough week with a game at Pierce on Wednesday, Tacoma here on Saturday, and then Centralia next Monday.”
MEN: Lower Columbia 71, Clark 64 (OT) — Philip Hertz scored the tying basket at the end of regulation, but the Penguins could not keep up in the extra period.
The game was close throughout until the overtime where LCC outscored Clark 11-4. With about 21/2 minutes to play in the OT, Clark had a two-point lead.
“We just weren’t quite tough enough, not intense enough down the stretch,” Clark coach Alex Kirk said.
Sean Price led the Penguins in scoring with 19 points, and Sam Jurgenson had 11.
The Penguins (13-8, 6-6) remain in fifth place in the NWAACC West, two games out of the fourth and final playoff position with five games to play.
LCC ended Clark’s four-game winning streak.
