The Sound Puget Sound Clippers host the Pierce College Raiders tonight with the women’s game tipping-off at 6:00 PM and the men’s game to follow.

The Lady Clippers are 4-16 overall and 1-10 in conference this season and have been much improved over their last four games including a 69-67 overtime win over Green River last week.  Sophomore Alychia Colon leads the Clippers with 14.77 points per game, River Ridge’s Monteaka Norwood is right behind her averaging 14.44 ppg and Black Hills‘ Aisha Jones also averages double digits at 12.35 ppg.  While it has been a rough season for the Clippers, it is still a far cry from last season when they had to forfeit nearly half their season because they just didn’t have enough bodies to field a team.  Pierce College won  the first meeting between the two teams, 86-36, behind 25 points from Unique Taufa’asau and Kawehi Hagi’s 23 points. The Raiders also feature two of Monteaka Norwood’s former River Ridge teammates, Natasha Trinidad and Janay Creamer.

The men have also been playing a lot better lately, winning three of their last five games and improving their record to 8-13 overall and 4-7 in conference. Freshman Anye Turner leads the NWAACC in rebounding pulling down 11.76 boards per game. The freshman from Black Hills is also scoring 13.27 points per game. The Clippers are led by freshman Scotty Ewing’s 15.91 ppg. Pierce is coached by former North Thurston girl’s and SPSCC men’s and women’s coach Bill Mendelson (also my driver’s ed teacher) and are led by Alaskan John Palmer’s 12.27 ppg and Tumwater’s Dan Devries 10.58 ppg. The Clippers won the first meeting 73-72 thanks to Anye Turner’s monster 26 point, 20 rebound effort.