WNCC women top No. 5 New Mexico JC
MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team buried nine 3-pointers and led for over 90% of the game as the Cougars toppled No. 5 New Mexico Junior College 63-52 Saturday afternoon in the final day of the McCook Thanksgiving Classic.
WNCC head coach Isaac Lu said his team played well.
“All of our team stepped up this afternoon,” Lu said. “We had big time performances from a lot of players. We knocked down some big-time shots and we were able to handle some pressure to close it at the end. It was a big win against the number five team in the country so I am excited to keep this thing rolling.”
The Cougars played together and never let New Mexico get on big runs except for in the third quarter.
“We definitely stayed focused,” Lu said. “We had a game plan in place and the ladies were able to execute. So that is big props to them. We slowed the game down and forced them to beat us from the outside and not from the inside where they are really good and dominant.”
WNCC trailed 2-0 to start the contest but a bucket by Shiho Isono and then a trey from Yara Garcia pushed the lead to 5-2 for the Cougars. New Mexico took the lead at 8-5 and later at 9-7, but Mackenzie Joseph hit a big 3-pointer to put WNCC up 11-9.
From that point on, the two teams traded buckets as the two teams were tied at 11, 13, 15, and 17. Bre Fowler closed out the first quarter when she hit a trey for a 20-17 lead.
WNCC kept playing strong and focused in the second quarter where they never relinquished the lead. WNCC went up 24-19 on a bucket by Ola Duda and Isono and led moments later 27-21 after another bucket by Isono.
New Mexico came back as they hit a bucket and then nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Cougars’ lead to 27-26. Joseph stopped the mini run and then Duda had an old-fashioned 3-point play for a 32-26 lead. The big shot came with under a minute to play when Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo nailed a trey for a 35-28 lead. New Mexico had the final bucket as WNCC led at halftime 35-30.
The third quarter started a little dicey as New Mexico scored the first nine points to grab a 39-35 lead. WNCC didn’t score their first bucket until 4:30 to play in the third quarter when Faith Walker scored. However, WNCC played strong defense and held New Mexico scoreless the final five minutes of the third.
In the meantime, WNCC kept playing strong offensively and focused as Isono hit a bucket to tie the game at 39-39 and then Joseph nailed a trey for a 42-39 lead. WNCC lead after three 43-39.
The fourth quarter saw New Mexico slice the deficit to 44-43 after making a shot on two offensive rebounds. WNCC came right back as Joseph nailed a triple and then Fowler and Garcia knocked down 3-pointers for a 53-45 lead with 5:45 to play.
WNCC pushed the lead to 11 at 58-47 when Joseph nailed a trey and Isono had a steal and bucket. Duda later made it 60-49. New Mexico tried to come back as they cut the lead to 60-52, but Duda made three of four free throws with 90 seconds to play and then the Cougar defense got key defensive rebounds and neither team scored again to give WNCC the win.
WNCC had four players in double figures. Joseph led the way with 15 points with four 3-pointers. Isono and Garcia each had 12 points. Garcia had two 3-pointers while Isono had five assists. Duda also had 11 points in the win while Fowler had eight points with two treys.
The win moves the Cougars to 6-3 on the season and it was the Cougars third straight win as they get ready for a 3-day invite in Gillette, Wyoming, beginning Friday when they face Dawson Community College.
Lu said they will recover and then get ready for this weekend.
“We are going to enjoy a couple days off to recover a little bit,” he said. “We are a little bit banged up and we will get back after it in preparation for this upcoming weekend in Gillette.
WNCC (6-3) 20 15 8 20 – 63
New Mexico (6-1) 17 13 9 13 – 52
WNCC
Mackenzie Joseph 15, Shiho Isono 12, Yara Garcia 12, Ola Duda 11, Bre Fowler 8, Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo 3, Faith Walker 2.