Jackson Smith
Staff Writer

It’s now the middle of November, so that can only mean one thing: it’s officially basketball season. After a long preseason, both the men’s and women’s Cougars basketball teams are back in action.

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, both basketball teams showed up and showed out for their first home games of the season. The women’s team opened up against the Pacific University’s JV Boxers. With a great start to the year, CCC won 94-44, never giving the Boxers a second to breathe.

Mollie Miller, sophomore guard, led a standout performance in the big win. Miller shot lights out going 4-7 from beyond the arc, ending the night with 32 points. Being the only returning player to the team this year, Miller was an important leader in this match.

Mollie Miller stands at the free throw line. Photos by Addy Stone

“This is a brand new team for us, I’m the only returner… just learning how everybody plays,” said Miller. “Everybody had assists towards me, getting those extra passes from my teammates was really nice.”

With a whole new squad, everybody on the team is learning each other’s playstyles and working on building chemistry. Alana Washington was another name high in the box score this game. Transferring over from Arizona Christian University, this is Washington’s first year as a Cougar.

In her first game at CCC, Washington showcased her abilities on both sides of the ball. Ending the night with 29 points and 6 steals. This was her first game as a guard, she normally plays the forward/center position. 

As an engine to a great defensive night, Washington wasn’t the only one tripping up the opponent as the team had 21 total steals on the night. Miller had 4 for herself, accompanied by freshman Maddie Miramontes who had 5. The team kept the Boxers in a straitjacket all night long, holding them to just 25% from the field.

“It wasn’t just me getting those steals, it was everybody rotating helpside. It was definitely a team effort.” Washington said.

Alana Washington waits to pass inbounds.

With taking on a whole new roster this season, head coach Jim Martineau gets to work with a lot of new rotations for his team. With new players like Washington and her twin sister Mae Washington to work with, he can plug and play them wherever he needs.

“It was big for her to run point guard for us, and when we get her sister [Mae] healthy, a similar type of player. We’re excited about it.” Martineau said.

The women’s team weren’t the only ones victorious however, as the men’s team would win 104-64 against Corban University’s Warriors JV. After losing the season opener, the Cougars bounced back in a ferocious fashion to win their first game this season. 

This was the first home game the team played without the late head coach Cliff Wegner. After taking the reins for the team, former assistant Brian Stamme led them to their first win under his leadership; an emotional night for him as head coach.

“It was really important to honor him [Wegner] tonight. This whole season is to honor him so that’s something that we think about constantly.” Stamme said.

After starting the season off with a loss, the team took care of business in this game with an explosive performance from first year Luke Bingham, ending the night off with 24 points and 13 rebounds. 

From crashing the glass all night long to bullying defenders in the paint, Bingham couldn’t miss a shot going 12-15 from the field on 56% shooting.

“I took it like any other game, just did my usual pre-game warm up and treated it like any other high school game,” said Bingham. “Just doing what I’ve always done, in highschool that’s how I got most of my buckets, just letting the game come to me.”

Bingham wasn’t the only one showing out for his squad, many players in this game scored double digits. Another stellar performance came from second year Lincoln Satterthwaite, a wing for the Cougars. Scoring 19 points with a block and a steal, Satterthwaite made an impact all around the court.

Lincoln Satterthwaite attempting a dunk.

“We really wanted to keep the intensity up, try to hold them to the least amount of points possible. Just focus on our game.” Satterthwaite said.

Last year the women’s team finished the season with a 21-9 record. Led by Miller, they look to maintain their momentum and keep the pace. On the other hand, the men’s team finished last season with a 13-16 record. This year starting off 1-1, they look to continue holding down home court, and improving on the road to keep up with their Cougar counterpart.