Men’s team drops another close one against Linn-Benton

The Saints men’s basketball team suffered another narrow loss Saturday, the third time in four games they have fallen by four points or less.

During this stretch, they’ve led each ball game with two minutes remaining. Head coach Geoff Gibor said his team has been in control of each game.

“We just need to execute both offensively and defensively down the stretch to hold on to those close games,” Gibor said.

Last weekend’s 71-68 loss in Albany to the Linn-Benton Roadrunners dropped Mt. Hood to 3-4 in the Southern Region of the NWAACC and 7-12 overall, leaving them with very little room for error

as regional play is now half over.

In the loss, sophomore Colby Mitchell led the team with 17 points while freshmen Landon Rushton and Mac Johnson scored 13 points each. Unfortunately, the duo of the Roadrunners guard

Bonhan Stafford and forward Adam Hastings combined for 38 points. Their outstanding 15 of 22 shooting from the field spearheaded the Linn-Benton victory.

The Saints are now tied with Portland Community College and Umpqua for the fourth place in the south, which is is crucial since only the top four seeds make the year-end NWAACC tournament.

“Our goal is to improve day by day and ultimately make NWAACC’s” said Gibor. “We’re only about five possessions away from being in first place in the South” he added.

Freshman Brock Otis, a starting forward for the Saints, attributed ball security and execution to their recent string of misfortune.

“We just need to execute the plays Coach calls, box out on rebounds, and give ourselves an opportunity to control the outcome of these close games.”

Otis said the Saints are able to put the tight finishes behind them and shift their focus forward as the season moves on. Heading into the home stretch, Mt. Hood opens up the back half of their

schedule with a home game against the Lane Titans tomorrow at home, hoping to erase the memory of their last meeting in which Lane took total control in their 91-56 throttling of the Saints.

Only two Hood players, Mitchell and Johnson, scratched double figures in the first game versus the Titans.

“Watching film, both teams are completely different than that first game,” said Gibor.

“We just need to match their intensity. In the first game they were much more active on both ends of the floor, so once we cut down on allowing easy buckets, we can control the game from there.”

As for the schedule winding down, both Otis and Gibor said their eventual goal was to get to NWAACCs. Maintaining their position is important, but improving it would substantially benefit the young Hood squad.

“Once we’re in, whether it’s the fourth seed or better, anything can happen” Otis said.