Both the Clark College men’s and women’s basketball teams came up short on the third day of crossover tournaments.
And both Penguins squads finished the weekend 1-2 in the final tuneups before NWAC South region play begins after the holidays.
The Clark men lost to Big Bend of Moses Lake 82-72 on Sunday at Whatcom Community College’s Pavilion Gym in Bellingham.
Big Bend (10-1) led wire-to-wire to finish the tournament 3-0.
Sethon Moore led Clark (7-3) with 21 points. Tyler Fernstrom added 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Parker Gaddis, Clark’s leading scorer in its first two games at Bellingham, was held to nine points. He was coming off a 29-point effort in a win over Whatcom on Friday and a 25-poing game in a loss to Highline on Saturday.
The Clark women had Grays Harbor on the ropes in the fourth quarter before losing 81-76 at the O’Connell Sports Complex in Vancouver.
The Penguins had a 67-63 lead with 6:06 to play when Grays Harbor (5-3) went on a 10-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
Three starters for Clark (2-9) scored in double figures. Payton Wangler, a Hockinson grad, led with 22 points, Mahrysa Thomas had 21, and Jodi Thomasian had 14. Taylor Mills, a La Center grad, led with 10 rebounds.
Walla Walla (8-3) went 3-0 in Vancouver, closing out the crossover with a 97-42 win over Shoreline (1-7).
The Clark basketball teams are now on holiday break and resume play on Jan. 3 when they open NWAC South region action at Linn-Benton in Albany, Ore. The Penguins will then host Lane of Eugene on Jan. 5.
