Sixth-ranked Western Nebraska downs MCC Women, 83-57

The sixth-ranked Western Nebraska Women's basketball team rolled to their 16^th straight win, downing MCC Friday in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center, 83-57.

The Lady Cougars got up 9-2 before MCC fought back to tie the game at 13-13 with 2:19 left in the first quarter and the teams tied after 10 minutes 17-17.

"We came out and really competed in that first quarter and got down early and made a comeback and got ahead and kept it tight but when they went on their runs, we just didn't respond very well," said MCC Coach Brandon Pritchett.

Western Nebraska came out and took control of the game with a 22-9 edge in the second quarter and led at the half, 39-26. The Cougars shot 53.3 percent in the first half while MCC made 36 percent of its first-half shots from the field.

"We have to do better mentally to respond to games, X's and O's don't really matter when it comes to the mental side of things we just have to regroup and be better," Pritchett said.

Western stretched the 13-point halftime lead to 59-42 after three quarters.

"We started going on a lot of one-on-ones that really kind of hurt us at times and we were getting frustrated with things," Pritchett said. "The mental game within the game, is what we need to be better at."

Sophomores Sonia Sato (El Paso, Texas) and Alyssa Van Vleet (Oberlin, Kan.) led MCC with 13 points each. Sato led MCC with 11 rebounds and Van Vleet went three-for-three from the 3-point line

Maite Lara Garcia (sophomore, Sant Joan Despi, Spain) had six points and five other players had five points each including sophomore Hanna Appelgren (Stockholm, Sweden).

 "I thought we had some people come out and play well," Pritchett said. "Hanna had a great second half for us, Sonia played really well throughout the whole game."

MCC shot 33.3 percent for the game, made five of 19 from the 3-point line (26.3 percent) and made 16 of 24 shots from the free-throw line (66.7 percent).

Western Nebraska shot 48.5 percent from the field, made six of 24 3-pointers (25 percent) and went 13 of 19 from the line (68.4 percent). The Cougars outrebounded MCC 49-28.

 "That's a good Western team, we just have to come back with a day of practice and preparation tomorrow and come back and be ready for NJC Sunday because that will be a big one for us," Pritchett said.

Western improves to 21-1 and 5-0 in the Region IX south standings.

MCC goes to 14-9 and 2-3 in the Region IX South standings with another Region IX matchup at home against Northeastern Junior College. Game time is 2 p.m. Sunday.

For more photos from tonight's game, please visit the MCC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MPCCMcCook