MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball put six players into double figures and utilized a big first quarter to register an 82-75 win over Ft. Scott Community College Friday in the first day of the McCook Thanksgiving Classic.

                The Cougars moved to 5-3 on the season while Ft. Scott dropped to 5-4 in a game between two evenly talented teams.

                WNCC will finish off the Thanksgiving Classic when they face No. 5 New Mexico Junior College on Saturday at noon. New Mexico Junior topped McCook Community College 78-47 on Friday to move to 6-0 on the season.

The win Friday was all about how quick the Cougars started as they put together one of their best first quarters this season, racking up 31 points and dominating on the offensive and defensive end. WNCC raced to a 5-0 lead behind back-to-back steals from Shiho Isono and Jayla Owen.

                WNCC pushed the lead to 19-2 as Bre Fowler and Yara Garcia each connected on 3-pointers. WNCC led 21-6 before the Lady Hounds scored their first field goal of the contest with a 3-pointer with three minutes to play in the opening quarter.

                WNCC kept going as Isono had a bucket and Owen had two field goals for a 27-9 lead. WNCC closed out the first quarter as Ola Duda hit a bucket and then Fowler made 2-of-3 free throws for a 31-13 lead.

                The second quarter was back and forth as Ft. Scott cut the lead to 31-17 before Faith Walker hit a bucket. Ft. Scott got the deficit to single digits at 35-26 with a 3-pointer with 3:45 to play in the half. Duda answered with a bucket and then Owen hit a trey followed by two free throws by Garcia for a 42-26 lead. WNCC led at intermission 44-30.

                The third quarter saw Ft. Scott outscore WNCC 23-19. WNCC led 50-33 early before Ft. Scott cut the lead to seven points on a 3-pointer. Walker stopped the run with a bucket and then Garcia hit a bucket to make it 61-50. WNCC lead after three periods 63-53.

                The fourth period saw Garcia nail a 3-pointer for a 67-53 lead. WNCC went up 74-57 after a Fowler trey and then to Duda free throws. Ft. Scott came back and cut the lead six points at 78-72 with 11 straight points. Garcia stopped the run with a bucket with a minute to play.

                Ft. Scott came down and drained a trey with 49 seconds to play, but Isono hit two free throws with eight seconds to play for the final 82-75 win.

                Garcia led the team in scoring with 16 points including two 3-pointers while Isono tallied 14 points. Owen finished with 13 followed by Duda with 11. Fowler and Walker each had 10 points in the win.

                WNCC buried just five treys in the win as Fowler and Garcia each had two and Owen had one.

 

WNCC (5-3)         31 13 19 19 – 82

Ft. Scott (5-4)     12 17 23 22 – 75

WNCC

Ola Duda 11, Shiho Isono 14, Jayla Owen 13, Bre Fowler 10, Yara Garcia 16, Faith Walker 10, Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo 5, Mackenzie Joseph 3.