Kicking it with Q – Episode 4 – NBA Allstar Weekend
Raiders Fall Short in Offensive Shootout
Pierce College’s women’s basketball team fought hard Wednesday against the visiting Highline Thunderbirds. It was a game filled with energy from start to finish as the two well-matched teams battled over an action-packed 40 minutes. The T-birds came out fast jumping out to a 16-7 lead midway through the first quarter. Then the Raiders fired back with a barrage of their own cutting that lead in half by the end of the first quarter.
Stand out freshman #2 Sydney Dewitt was covered well in the first quarter and couldn’t seem to get open enough to score but the second quarter was a much different story. Dewitt exploded, scoring 12 points in the second quarter alone, after which the Raiders found themselves holding a 46-44 lead at halftime. The third quarter had more energy as the teams pushed one another in a 10-minute stretch that saw the game change leaders or become tied 12 times.
It all came down to the final 10 minutes. The T-birds struck first, stretching their lead to 4 points but the Raiders responded with strength, scoring 8 unanswered points to give themselves a 69-65 lead with just under 5 minutes remaining in the game. Then the T-birds fired back, and the teams sat neck and neck, with the Raiders leading by one with 54 seconds left in the game after a basket by #11 Alexis Dixon. The it was down to the last seconds of the game as the score was tied at 75-75. With seconds left on the clock the T-birds scored one more time. Then the Raiders took the ball and three seconds left on the clock, Dixon missed, but #1 Dominique Hudson got the offensive rebound and one last chance to tie the game. Despite their best efforts, the Raiders could not get their last chance shot to fall and the buzzer ended the game 75-77. It is a heartbreaking loss for the Raiders who fall below .500 with their regular season record now 2 wins and 3 losses.
This tough loss had a lot of offense from both teams, with 5 Raiders finishing with double digits in the points column. Dewitt looked very comfortable on the floor having another good night, scoring 19 points. Sophomore #25 Victoria Mukisa had a strong game as well putting up 15 points before she fouled out with just over three minutes left in the game. The Raiders got good support from their freshmen as well. Point guard #21 Ruby Daube contributed 14 points and 6’1” forward Dixon recorded her first double-double dropping 10 points and snagging 11 rebounds.
The Raiders played hard, winning the rebound battle 46-36, but were hindered by their 20 turnovers, a category Highline only acquired 9 tallies in. The Pierce College women hope to get back on track Saturday, Jan. 27 when they travel to Centralia to take on the Trailblazers, a team with the same 2 win and 3 loss record. These girls play hard and love the support, come cheer them on at their next home game next week, Wednesday, Jan. 31, when Pierce College plays host to the winless Green River Gators. The game starts at 6 p.m.; students and children 12 and under are always free. Proceeds from every game help the athletics program and the Pierce College Foundation, a program that supports educational access and success for Pierce College students.
Highline Brings Heartbreak to the HEC
The men’s basketball team looked good at home Wednesday as they hosted the Highline Thunderbirds. The game started off fast with the teams trading baskets, but as the first half went on the Raiders seemed to have less time and space on offense and trailed the T-birds 27-39. #3 Daniel Gregory, who finished the game with 17 points, struggled to find quality shots against the tight perimeter defense of the T-birds and was held off the scoresheet in the first half.
Halftime adjustments made a world of difference in the second half when the Raiders held the T-birds scoreless for 11 minutes and scored 27 unanswered points to take a 54-39 lead with 9 minutes left in the game. Drama started to build late in the game as the T-birds pulled themselves back into striking range and eventually tied the game with 9 seconds remaining, forcing the game into overtime.
The five-minute overtime period stayed scoreless for almost three minutes before the T-birds took the lead, a lead that was extended to 7 points with just 1 minute remaining. However, the Raiders wouldn’t give in and they clawed their way back into the game as Gregory drove to the hoop, dropping a layup and tying the game at 78 with just 8 seconds left on the clock. But, the Raiders couldn’t hang on as Highline was able to find an open player to take the game-winning shot just before the buzzer, putting the T-birds on top and ending a highly charged game in dramatic fashion.
In a game where the Raiders out rebounded their opponent 51-37, #24 Marquise Raybon had another outstanding performance, finishing the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double in as many games. Freshman #1 Barinder Sandhu and sophomore #5 Rakeem Hughey were instrumental to the Pierce offense as Sandhu scored 16 points and Hughey posted 15.
After a painful loss, the Raiders now look to their next game on Wednesday, Jan. 31, when the Raiders will tip off against the winless Green River Gators at 8 p.m. Pierce College students and children 12 and under always get free admission to home games and proceeds help support Pierce College Athletics and the Pierce College Foundation, which supports educational access and success for Pierce College students.
Raiders’ Women Crush Clippers
The Pierce College Women’s Basketball team played strong in a 55-40 win over the South Puget Sound Community College Clippers on Jan. 20. It evened out their regular season record at two wins and two losses.
The Raiders fell behind to start the game but bounced back quickly and trailed the Clippers for less than 2 minutes before they took control of the game. The Raider women locked it down defensively as they held the Clippers scoreless for over 9 minutes on an 11-0 run that set the tone for a big win. Sydney Dewitt led the charge for the Raiders as she finished the game with 17 points. Alongside Jalani Palu-Thompson who scored 14 points, was perfect from the free throw line, and shot a very impressive 80% from 3-point range.
The season continues; game schedule can be found at pierceraiders.com . Home games are always free for Pierce students, lets rally behind the team and show our support.
Slow Start for Men’s Basketball at Pierce
Conference play for the Raiders’ Men’s basketball team is off to a rough start as their regular season record falls to 0-4.
On Jan. 20, the Raiders offense struggled against the sound defense of the 4-0 Clippers from South Puget Sound Community College in an 83-54 loss at home. The Pierce men kept the game within reach in the first half before the clippers pulled away with a 25-3 run to start off the second half. Marquise Raybon led the Raiders finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds posting a double-double for the first time in conference play. Daniel Gregory showed good consistency from beyond the arc, nailing 3 of his 4 shots from 3-point range. The Raiders look to gain traction as the season continues.
Home games are always free for Pierce students, lets rally behind the team and show our support.
New Raiders on team roster gives hope for men’s basketball season
Raiders Athletics/Courtesy photos
It was a turbulent preseason for the Pierce College men’s basketball team as they finished with a record of 2-11. The men played hard and winning was not out of reach in many of their games, however. Of their 11 losses, 8 games were lost by 10 points or less. A couple bounces here and there or a few more shots falling in the hoop would have turned many of these painful losses into jubilant victories.
With margins that small there is plenty of hope carried by the Raiders and their fans. Though they lost their last three games, they were all within that small window of 10 or fewer points making all the difference. The addition of a couple new faces to the team seems to have brought some energy back into the Raiders’ strides, paving the way for the guys to end up on the other side of many of those losses in the matchups to come.
This year’s deep roster is comprised mostly of freshman led by forward Marquise Raybon (13.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 32.5 minutes per game) shooting, a team high, 51.2% from the field, and guard Daniel Gregory (31 minutes and 10.1 points per game). The sophomores, while in short supply, are making their impact felt in every game. Ronnie Roberson leads the team with 9.4 rebounds per game, and Rakeem Hughey is the leading scorer thus far averaging 17.7 points per game.
The Raiders had a fresh start Wednesday, Jan. 10 as their regular season started to get underway at home against the cross-town rival Tacoma Community College Titans. Tip off was at 8 p.m. in the Health Education Center (HEC) at the Fort Steilacoom campus and all Pierce College students who attended received free T-shirts. Games can be viewed on the Pierce Athletics YouTube channel.
Game tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for seniors, military and students. All Pierce College students and children under the age of 12 get free admission to games. So, come out to the home games, grab something from concessions, and support the Raiders as they push forward and begin the battle for divisional dominance.
The next home game will be Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
First Raider women’s basketball starts season off strong
Video by Chloes Galiki
The 2018 basketball preseason has come to a close for the Pierce Raiders women with a final record of 4-9. Leading the charge offensively are freshman guards Sydney Dewitt, scoring 14.3 points per game, and Rube Daube, shooting an impressive 30% from 3-point territory.
Freshman Alexis Dixon seems to be finding herself a place to fit in the lineup as well, posting 43 points in her last four games. Victoria Mukisa, Jalani Palu-Thompson, and Kaytreeona Williams-Mack, this year’s sophomores, are doing their part as experienced leaders on the court as they continue contributing to the offense regularly and playing quality defense on the other side of the floor.
Williams-Mack leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game while Mukisa and Palu-Thompson are both averaging above 9 points a game. The women are ranked second in steals at the end of the preseason averaging 14 steals per game, trailing only the 10-3 North Idaho Cardinals.
The Raiders finished the preseason strong, winning two of their last three games, and seem to be well prepared for their regular season trek as they attempt to keep the momentum in swinging in their favor.
The Raiders had a fresh start Wednesday, Jan. 10 as their regular season started to get underway at home against the cross-town rival Tacoma Community College Titans. Tip off was at 6 p.m. in the Health Education Center (HEC) at the Fort Steilacoom campus and all Pierce College students who attended received free T-shirts.
The game ended with the Raiders winning 64-60. Games can be viewed on the Pierce Athletics YouTube channel.
Game tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for seniors, military and students. All Pierce College students and children under the age of 12 get free admission to games. So, come out to the home games, grab something from concessions, and support the Raiders as they push forward and begin the battle for divisional dominance.
The next home game will be Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Raiders vs. Everett Trojans
December 14 @ HEC
A Game to be Remembered
The Raiders win their first game of the season in their last home game of the year
Strong on and off the court
Sophomore Martin dominates in basketball and shines off the hardwood
On to the playoffs for men’s hoops
The Raiders clinch a playoff spot with a 10-3 record
