South Puget Sound men's basketball used a strong effort in the paint and a balanced scoring attack to defeat Pierce 79-60 on Feb. 18 in a Northwest Athletic Conference matchup.
The Clippers improved to 19-8 overall and 8-4 in conference play, while Pierce dropped to 4-20 and 3-9 in league action.
South Puget Sound built a 36-24 halftime lead and continued to extend its advantage in the second half, outscoring Pierce 43-36 over the final 20 minutes.
Jeremiah Lewis led the way for the Clippers with 23 points and a dominant 16-rebound performance. Lewis shot 10 of 15 from the field and added a block and an assist. Elijah “Jack” Mack contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while Caleb Bowden added 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
South Puget Sound controlled the glass throughout the contest, holding a commanding 50-26 rebounding advantage. The Clippers grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, leading to second-chance opportunities that helped keep Pierce at bay.
Pierce was led by Isaac Norris, who scored a team-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting and pulled down six rebounds. Cooper Hartley added 12 points off the bench, knocking down all four of his 3-point attempts and collecting six rebounds. Mande Wanlemvo chipped in nine points and five boards, while Jonah Bell scored eight.
The Raiders shot 41.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc but struggled to keep pace with South Puget Sound’s interior presence. The Clippers shot 43.7 percent overall and converted 10 of 12 free throws.
