It will be a battle of 10-win teams through the first month of the basketball season as the Western Nebraska Community College women's team hosts Casper College Tuesday night.

                Tip-off for the women's game with Casper is set for 5:30 p.m. The WNCC and Casper men will follow the women's contest.

                WNCC, 10-2, has won its last three contests. Casper, 10-1, has won four straight.

                WNCC coach Chad Gibney said it will be a big contest between the two Region IX heavyweights.

                "We look at every game as a big game," Gibney said. "It is a chance to continue to get better and a chance to play a very good basketball team. It is always good to play tough competition because that exposes your weaknesses but it also allows you to continue to work on things against top-notch competition."

                Gibney said it should be a dogfight Tuesday night because Casper is a salty ball club.

                "They are a really talented group," he said. "They shoot the ball really well and their three-point shooting is a strength. They are athletic and they have good size. It will be a great test for us."

                The two Region IX powers have common opponents this season in Northeastern Junior College, Utah State-Eastern, and Salt Lake Community College. The Thunderbirds won twice against NJC (76-56 and 75-56), twice against Utah State-Eastern (81-64 and 64-55), and topped No. 5 Salt Lake (77-72.

                Casper's only defeat was a 59-51 defeat to Snow College back on Nov. 17.

                WNCC topped Utah State-Eastern 67-66 and NJC 81-63. The Cougars fell 82-70 to Salt Lake. The Cougar's other defeat was a 69-49 loss to No. 24 College of Southern Idaho.

                The Cougars are averaging 80.5 points a game in 12 games. The Cougars are shooting 48 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc. WNCC is cleaning the class for 36 rebounds a game while dishing out 17 assists a contest.

                Casper is scoring at a 74 per clip average, while shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from the field. The T-birds are picking up 42 rebounds a contest, while dishing out 16 assists.

                Casper has three players in double digits. Lucie Hoskova is averaging 14.8 points a contest, followed by Paula Orenes Sanchez at 11.6 and Emily Robertson at 10.2. Ashlie Larson is averaging 9.2 points a game.

                WNCC is very comparable to the T-birds with four players in double figures. Merle Werle leads the Cougars in scoring 15.4 points a contest, followed by Melisa Kadic at 12.3, Jaleesa Avery at 11.5, and Karli Seay at 10.3 points.

                With both teams that similar, Gibney said it is important that they worry about their game.

                "I think we need to make sure we dictate the pace of the game and make sure they don't find that rhythm on the offensive-side of things," he said. "Then, we need to put the ball in the basket more times than they do."

                After Tuesday's encounter, the Cougars will wrap up the first semester with a home Region IX South sub-region contest against Eastern Wyoming College Saturday at 5:30 p.m.