South Puget Sound Community College outscored Tacoma by 11 points in the second half to pull away for a 78-64 win in its road NWAC West Division opener on Jan. 7.
The Clippers were led by Jamaal Elliott and Jeremiah Lewis, who scored 19 points apiece. Elliott also added six assists and three steals, while Lewis had 13 rebounds.
The first half was a close affair with Tacoma, which fell to 5-9 on the season. South Puget Sound led 35-32 at halftime, but its balanced approach to scoring proved to be too much for the Titans.
Elliot scored 13 points in the first half, while three players in the second half hit double digits for the period. Four different Clipper players ended with double-digit points, as Caleb Bowden added 12 points and Nakalyah Fabello had 11 points.
Shooting was consistent as South Puget Sound shot 45.8% from the field as a whole, with little deviation between the first and second half. The Clippers also went 8 for 22 from the 3-point line.
Jakoi Lide led the Titans with 18 points, but shot just 6 for 16 from the field. South Puget Sound was more efficient on offense and held Tacoma to 39.7% shooting.
The Clippers also got to the line. They were 16 for 23 from the charity stripe, with Elliot hitting 9 of 9 shots.
Lewis got the bulk of his points from the field, shooting 8 for 13.
The win was South Puget Sound’s second in a row and improved its record to 12-4. In the West Division, the Clippers share the best overall record with Green River.
SPSCC return homes on Saturday to host Grays Harbor at 1 p.m.
