TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team wrapped up the regular season by putting four in double figures with a 77-60 win over Trinidad State College Saturday afternoon at Trinidad, Colorado.
WNCC wraps up the regular season at 26-4 and will get ready to host a first-round playoff game Friday at 6 p.m. against Trinidad State at Cougar Palace. The Cougars finished third in the South Sub-region with a 7-3 conference mark while Trinidad went 0-10 in the conference. The winners of the first round will advance to the Region IX tournament March 14-16 in Casper, Wyoming.
WNCC started strong in the contest as Ebere Egbirika made the opening bucket and then Mackenzie Joseph nailed a triple for a 5-0 lead. WNCC kept playing strong defense as they led 12-3 on a Faith Walker bucket and held Trinidad without a bucket until 4:33 left in the first quarter. At 12-6. WNCC led 20-12 after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw WNCC go up 26-14 on a Walker bucket and kept the lead around 10 points and led 31-24 at the break.
The third quarter saw Trinidad slice the deficit to 33-26 before Joseph buried a 3-pointer and then a Walker bucket made it 38-27. Trinidad came back to cut the deficit to just two points at 42-40 with 2:18 to play in the third. Walker hit a layup for a 44-40 lead which was clutch as Trinidad buried a 3-pointer to make it a 44-43 game. WNCC came back with back-to-back bucket by Kiley Smich and Walker for a 48-43 lead after three periods.
WNCC started the fourth slow as Trinidad took their first lead of the game at 49-48 with 7:46 to play. WNCC answered with a bucket by Egbirika for a 50-49 lead. Trinidad regained the lead at 55-53 on a 3-pointer, but Walker made a bucket to tie the game at 55-55 with five minutes to play.
That was when WNCC kicked it into high gear as Egbirka hit a trey followed by five straight points from Laura Montiel for a 63-55 lead. WNCC went back up by double-digits at 66-55 on a Helena Kuck 3-pointer and never looked back to get their 26th win of the season.
WNCC shot 51 percent from the field and buried nine 3-pointers. Trinidad shot 35 percent from the field and buried 13 treys.
WNCC out-rebounded Trinidad State 40-17 behind nine boards from Walker and Joseph. WNCC also had 17 steals lead by Amiyah Donaldson with four and Egbirka and Montiel with three each. Montiel and Gal-La Font each had two of the team's six blocked shots.
Walker led the Cougars with 19 points followed by 13 from Egbirika, 11 from Donaldson, and 10 from Joseph.
WNCC 20 11 17 29 – 77
Trinidad 12 12 19 17 – 60
WNCC
Ebere Egbirika 13, Helena Kuck 6, Gal-La Font 3, Mackenzie Joseph 10, Adelina Urtane 2, Amiyah Donaldson 11, Laura Montiel 8, Faith Walker 19, Jamie Caron 3, Kiley Smich 2.
TRINIDAD
Mariah Maes 5, Desiree Bachicha 6, Sonia Evans 11, Gabby O'Hara 11, Neveah Martinez 4, Hailey Apachito 15, Anisa Gallegos 2, Jordan Malone 6.