WINCHESTER – The No. 8 ranked Umpqua men saw their lead for first place in the NWAC South Region trimmed to just a half-game after an 80-73 loss to Clark College Wednesday night.
The Riverhawks trailed by eight at halftime but managed to cut the deficit down to just three on a couple of occasions in the second half. Umpqua trailed Clark College 71-68 with about two minutes left to play, but the Penguins iced the game from the free throw line.
Umqpua’s leading scorer Grant Ellison made his return from an ankle sprain and scored 11 points. Ethan Betts led the UCC men in the loss with 15.
The loss negated a chance for the Umpqua men to clinch a post season berth with a win against the Penguins. There are two games left in the regular season and the Riverhawks still control their own destiny. Up next, the Umpqua men will visit second place Clackamas, which trails the Riverhawks by just a half-game. The two sides meet at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
