Rangers reaching for the playoffs

Ken Waldo’s career-high 41 points weren’t enough to keep the Olympic College Rangers from losing their third straight game and grip on a possible berth to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges basketball tournament.

Oly-mpic’s 89-83 loss at Seattle Community College on Wednesday, Feb. 20 left the Rangers tied with Skagit Valley for the NWAACC’s fourth and final playoff berth with three games left.

OC (7-6 North, 13-12 overall) hosts Whatcom today, Feb. 23 and Everett on Wednesday, Feb. 27 before closing the regular season at Edmonds on Saturday, March 2. The NWAACC Tournament is March 8-11 in Kennewick.

“It’s an important game,” OC coach Reece Gliko said of today’s 5:30 p.m. contest with Whatcom. “I just want to see us play well. We haven’t played well the last couple of games.”

Waldo, 6-5 sophomore from Olympic High, couldn’t have done much more against Seattle. With inside partner Fred Grupe in foul trouble, Waldo also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds.

“Ken put us on his back and carried us as far as he could,” Gliko said. “His effort along, with guys not playing their normal game, wasn’t enough.”

Grupe, the NWAACC’s leading rebounder (11.2 rpg) who also averages 20 points, fouled out with just seven points and 10 rebounds. Greg Caldwell scored 12 points, 10 below his average.

Angelo Jeanpierre, a freshman from Bremerton, had 10 rebounds for the Rangers, who made just 9 of 33 3-point casts (.270 percent).

OC women lose

Olympic College’s women came out flat on the road and the final outcome was predictable: Seattle 73, Olympic 52.

“It was kind of like we were napping out there,” said OC coach Rick Peters after the Rangers dropped to 4-9 in the NWAACC North and 7-16 overall.

Melissa Edwards led OC with 20 points.

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