It will be a Highway 26 battle for the Region IX Women's Basketball championship after the Western Nebraska Community College and Eastern Wyoming College teams earned wins in the semifinals Friday night at Cougar Palace.
WNCC captured its 15th straight win and 27th win of the season with a strong defensive effort against Gillette College in earning the 63-49 win.
EWC earned its first trip to the championship game in 37 years after winning the title back in 1979 in putting together a good defensive game against Trinidad for the 52-46 win.
The two Highway 26 teams will battle for a trip to the NJCAA national tournament on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. at Cougar Palace.
For the Cougars, the semifinal win was a much better performance than Thursday's quarterfinal overtime win against Northwest College. Melisa Kadic, who led the team with 13 points, said it was a good improvement from 24 hours ago. The difference in the two games was defense.
"After last night where we barely won, we learned a lot from last night," the freshman from Utah said. "We just have to stop the ball on defense and rebound because last night we didn't rebound very well and tonight we better."
Defense was definitely the key to the Cougars win Friday, especially in the first quarter where WNCC held Gillette scoreless for almost nine and a half minutes. The Pronghorns scored the opening bucket on an old-fashioned play and then hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
In between, the Cougars went to town scoring 11 points including a big 3-pointer by Kadic to lead 11-6 after one period.
Anastacia Johnson, who finished the game with eight points and five steals, said the defense was the big reason they won the game.
"It was amazing and words can't even describe how we played defensively," she said. "We knew what we needed to do. Gillette is a really good team so to stop them defensive end was huge for us."
From that first quarter defensive effort, the Cougars continue excelling as they outscored Gillette 16-7 in the second quarter to hold a 27-13 lead at halftime.
WNCC didn't let up in the third period, opening with a 12-4 run to lead 39-17. Gillette made a comeback cutting the lead to 14 at the end of the third at 48-34 and then sliced it to single digits early in the fourth at 48-40.
After that the defense picked up again as WNCC went on a 14-3 run to open up a 62-43 lead behind six points from Johnson and clutch free throws for the win.
Johnson said reaching the championship is something that this team is excited about, but realize they can't let up against an Eastern Wyoming squad that is playing well and making a statement.
"It is so exciting and it is like a burst of joy to be playing for a regional title," she said. "We have been working hard all season and what we have been through, just being here is great.
"EWC has been under estimated all season and these past two games they have been making a statement and today we made a statement, too. I think tomorrow will definitely be a good game."
WNCC shot 35 percent from the field and connected on four 3-pointers. WNCC won the game from the free throw line connecting on 15 of 21 charity tosses.
Gillette shot 29 percent from the field and buried just three treys.
WNCC had three in double figures. Kadic had 13 followed by 11 each from Zeynep Canbaz and Bree Paulson. Giovanna Silva also scored nine points and pulled down eight rebounds.
The Eastern Wyoming College Lancers have put together three impressive wins in the regional tournament to advance to Saturday final to face WNCC.
Sarah Bersang, the sophomore from Denmark, said this team found a way to win Friday night.
"We played better yesterday but we managed to come out with a win today and it is all with solid defense," she said.
The win sends the Lancers into the championship game Saturday night against WNCC. It is the first time the Lancers have been in the title game since 1979 when they won back-to-back championships.
Bersang said the team is excited to be playing for a title but realizes that they have to continue playing tough.
"We all are so excited [after winning and going to the title game]," she said. "We were jumping around in the locker room and screaming and our coach is also excited. We know are going to come in as the underdogs because no one believed in Eastern Wyoming but we did and that is what made us go to the final."
What got the Lancers to the championship game was heart.
"We all play with heart and we all play for each other so that is all I can ask for right now," Bersang said. "Tomorrow [Saturday] we will need excitement, defense, and heart to win. That is all that matters."
The Lancers defense started early as the Cougars humped out to a 10-0 lead and didn't allow a Trinidad bucket until the 2:25 mark of the opening quarter. EWC went on to lead 13-5 after one period and then led 27-16 at halftime.
Trinidad came out and started coming back in the second half, cutting the EWC lead from double digits to 43-40 in the fourth quarter. The lead was even sliced to two points on a couple occasions, but the Lancers made clutch free throws down the stretch as Bersang sank four big free throws for the win.
Bersang led the Lancers with 16 points, including going 10 of 14 from the charity stripe. Carna Prokic was the only other Lancer in double figures with 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
Gillette 6 7 21 15 – 49
WNCC 11 16 21 15 – 63
GILLETTE
Angie Murmion 5, Julia Robarge 13, Shy'Tyra Powell 12, Brittany Richards 8, Zoe Richards 4, Azhane Buffard 7.
WNCC
Melisa Kadic 13, Sladjana Rakovic 6, Jaleesa Avery 4, Zeynep Canbaz 11, Bree Paulson 11, Anastacia Johnson 8, Jocelyn Montecinos 1, Giovanna Silva 9.
Trinidad 5 11 13 17 – 46
EWC 13 14 9 16 – 52
TRINIDAD
Shahennessey Bradford 2, Nyee Smith 2, Mandie Perea 7, Alayanna Latimore 4, Clarissa Chavez 4, Jenny Hugins 2, Hannah Faulks 3, Anette Warner 14.
EWC
Emily Evans 4, Sarah Bersang 16, Carna Prokic 12, Anna Perez 6, Ijeoma Ezikeolisa 2, Katrina Terrell 4, Jessica Rossi 4, Pamela Bethel 4,.