BELLEVUE MEN NWAACC NORTH DIVISION CHAMPIONS!
February 21, 2011

The Bellevue College men's basketball team came into their last week of North division play on an eight game winning streak. Bellevue needed two more wins to lock up the top seed in the NWAACC tournament and the North Division title outright. 

Their first challenge came in their last home game of the year against the Everett Trojans on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Bellevue celebrated their sophomore class before the game started, welcoming family members from each of the six sophomores onto the court: Brad Valentine, Cedric Clarington, Skyler Stillwell, Antonio Gonzalez, Daniel Simon, and Malcholm Love. Sophomore night had an unexpected, and undesired, effect on the Bulldogs as they began the game in slow motion against a dangerous Everett team. The pressure of four must-win games in only one week may also have led to some tired legs. The Bulldogs were able to take a 37-28 lead into halftime, but it was clear that the Trojans did not plan on surrendering to the first place Bulldogs. 

The second half didn't bring a change in the Bulldogs lackadaisical play, Bellevue received just enough production from its sophomores to pull out a 70-63 home victory. Love led the Bulldogs with 19 points off the bench and also grabbed seven rebounds. Simon had a near double-double as he finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Clarington scored 14 points, and Gonzalez added nine rebounds to go with three assists and three steals.

In their last North division game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 26, the Bulldogs took on Edmonds Community College. A road win would give the Bulldogs ten straight victories and the number one seed from the North Division in the NWAACC tournament. The Bulldogs turned in a great first half defensive effort holding Edmonds to just 22 points. Bellevue failed to continue their focus in the second half, but still came away with an 86-71 victory to finish as North Division champions. Eleven Bulldogs scored in the game led by Clarington's 17 points. Love scored 14 and freshman Rex Nelson added 10.

Bellevue takes the North Division Championship title for the fifth time in the past seven years. Bellevue takes its ten-game winning streak into the NWAACC Basketball Championship Tournament, for the Bulldogs seventh consecutive appearance. As the number one seed out of the North division, the Bulldogs are matched up with Walla Walla CC, the fourth seed out of the East division. The game will be played in Kennewick at the Toyota Center at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 5. Bellevue finished the final NWAACC Coaches Poll as the number 3 team overall. Follow the action at the NWAACC website http://nwaacc.org and select the NWAACC 2011 Basketball Championships button on the right of your screen.

NORTH REGION MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-LEAGUE HONORS

Garnering recognition for their contributions in the 2010-11 season, are Bellevue sophomores Cedric Clarington (Cleveland HS) and Daniel Simon (Ephrata HS), who were both selected to the North Region First Team. Bellevue men’s basketball head coach Jeremy Eggers, in his eighth season as Bulldogs’ Head Coach, was named North Region Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year, the fourth time he has been so honored.

Please visit the BC Athletics website http://bellevuecollege.edu/athletics/ for additional team information. For complete standings, coaches’ polls and up-to-the-minute results go to http://nwaacc.org