Lane women in title game

The Titans will play for their fifth NWAC women’s basketball championship tonight

KENNEWICK, Wash. — The Lane Community College women’s basketball team will play for its fifth title in 10 years tonight.

The Titans secured a spot in the Northwest Athletic Conference championship game with a 49-44 win against Southern Region rival Southwestern Oregon on Monday in the semifinals of the annual 16-team tournament.

Lane (25-7) will face Peninsula (22-5) today at 5:30 p.m. The Pirates defeated Southern Region champion Umpqua in their semifinal game.

The Titans played Peninsula twice in back-to-back December games this season and defeated the Pirates both times by scores of 77-68 and 59-46.

Tonight’s game will be Lane’s sixth championship game appearance since 2005 — the only year the Titans played for the title and didn’t win.

Lane never trailed in its low-scoring game on Monday, and only once were the Lakers able to force a tie.

Jordan Kimbrough led the Titans with 12 points, Maddie Kiplinger added 11 points and Bre Dubois scored 10.

Southwestern Oregon got within three points with under a minute to play but Kiplinger and Erica Cogburn made free throws down the stretch to give the Titans some breathing room.