TRINIDAD, Colo. – The 21st-ranked Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team had a slow start against Trinidad State Junior College Saturday evening, but the Cougar women used a 30-0 run spanning the first and second quarter to win 76-61 in a Region IX South Sub-region contest.
WNCC moves to 26-3 on the season and finished the conference with a perfect 10-0 record. The Cougars have won 14 straight games.
Next up for the Cougars, who earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye for the regional tournament, will be the Region IX Tournament March 7-9 which they will host at Cougar Palace.
Saturday's win saw Trinidad jump out to a 12-4 lead. After that, it was all WNCC as they closed out the first quarter on a 15-0 run to lead 19-12 after one quarter.
The Cougars then opened the second quarter on another 15-0 run to lead 34-12and then doubled up the Trojans 46-23 to lead at halftime.
The second half saw Trinidad outscore WNCC in both quarters, 22-20 in the third and 16-10 in the fourth, but the game was also decided.
WNCC shot 39 percent from the field and they buried 13 3-pointers. Trinidad shot 46 percent from the field and buried 10 treys.
The Cougars also owned a 44-32 rebounding advantage. Andrijana Reljic led on the boards with eight, while Taylor Joplin and Tishara Morehouse each had seven.
WNCC had three players in double figures. Merle Wiehl led the way with 23 points, including three 3-pointers. Joplin tallied 13 points with three treys, while Allysah Boothe had 10 points and three treys.
Trinidad had just two in double figures, led by Destinee Vigil with 22 points and six 3-pointers.
WNCC will have 10 days off before the regional tournament.
WNCC (26-3) 19 27 20 10 – 76
Trinidad 12 11 22 16 – 61
WNCC
Merle Wiehl 23, Allysah Boothe 11, Andrijana Reljic 4, Taylor Joplin 13, Tishara Morehouse 8, Kolby Underwood 3, Anyssia Gibbs 4, R'Manie Pulling 4, Yuliyana Valcheva 6.
TRINIDAD
Shaylynn Choate 8, Destinee Vigil 22, Cassiea Mcccaskill 7, Unsi Calvo 3, Hannah Gilmore 17, Kate Rohr 2, Nuria Saez 2.