LB's hoops season review

Xavier Watson goes for up for two against three Mt. Hood guards.

LBCC basketball had a fairly decent season this year. The men's team is going to the NWAACC playoffs, and the women were forced to work out the kinks that come with having a brand new team.

The women's team had an up and down season at best. The Lady Roadrunners had it hard enough with a low turnout of players but to add on top of that multiple players became injured, one had a house burn down and others contracted H1N1.

Head coach Teresa Guerra came into a few more players late in the season but only played one of them. Multiple players in multiple games had to play the full 40 minute game length. Coaches should take advantage of those extra players and give key players a break and recover.

After Guerra found extra players to practice with, the women won two games, then fell back into a hole. Winning game story and others can be found on the women's basketball homepage.

The LB women may not have a big list of wins, but 0they show more heart than any other team and never look discouraged no matter the score. Would the outcome of the games in the latter part of the season have been different? Maybe and maybe not, but you got to give the team that chance to find out. Players from this season will have to try out again as Guerra looks to recruit a lot of new freshman talent for next season.

The men's team however has had a fairly good season. Winning all but two home games and clinching a spot in the playoffs for a chance at the NWAACC Championship.

LB's men play with a style and flair that must have been rubbed off from coach Randy Falk because most the players are very graceful and fluid. No show boating slam dunks or overly aggressive tactics, except for starter Taylor Roos.

Roos spends more time at the free throw line than any other player at any game. It's not an accident that he ends up there, Roos can shoot free throws with his eyes closed . The games in which LB won, Roos had at least 12 free throw attempts and hasn't missed one. Games where LB lost, Roos shot less than 10 free throws.

If Falk wants to push the team to the top then Roos needs to get to the free throw line.

“The way we win ball games is getting to the free throw line, and we’re very successful at that, and if we remember to do that we give ourselves a better chance,” said head coach Randy Falk.” I appreciate how hard our guys played and we are going to the NWAACC’s [playoffs] for the second year in a row and that’s a very positive reflection on our guys.”

Articles on LB men can be found here.

"We played hard physically but didn’t come out with the heart and desire,” said starting center Andrew Carter after their first playoff game which resulted in a disappointing loss.

• Who: LB men's and women's basketball
• What: NWAACC season and playoff potential.
• Where: LB's Athletic Center
• Men: Made it to playoffs but was sent home after first two games.
• Women: Lack players, chemistry and had a rather forgettable season.

Poem reading in the diversity center

I've never sat in on a poem reading before and it was rather enjoyable and "deep."

The theme was women, so everyone who was participating brought in poems written by women from pre-civil war days to today, students also read poems they themselves created.

The poem I liked most was by a student whose name I did not catch, but his poem was called "Note to Self."

While he was reading his poem I thought the meaning was being lost; lost in the world and in yourself. I was close but his interpretation that he told after reading was about an experience while just walking when he said he felt like he was in the past and that the past was getting mixed up with the present.

Overall I feel like I would enjoy sitting in on another poem reading session no matter the topic.

Writers Choice: My Choice

I'm going to write another opinion/editorial piece because I feel like I need practice explaining my point view in writing. My topic will be LBCC's basketball season for both men and women.

I was going to do another profile, but it would be best to learn the game and the athletes better before deciding which player to pick for a profile.

Stephen King's "On Writing"

I really enjoyed Stephen King's "On Writing," because it did not read like a classroom textbook, a novel or a biography.

To me the reading felt informal and personal. Like someone giving you advice, not just telling you what to do.

I will take away from this, King's "toolbox." I've never heard a clear reason to using to much information till that.

To me scariest part of writing is not the start. But I'll take away King's idea to just diving in and letting it out. For me a writers block really sucks and I feel stuck and won't write a thing. But diving in without thinking twice when blocked is really very helpful. I don't feel this is true for only writing but can be applied to everyday life as well, Just jump in and go for it.