The 15th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball will be entering the Region IX tournament on a little momentum after the Cougars out-scored Otero Junior College 44-25 in the second half to roll to a commanding 75-55 win Tuesday evening at Cougar Palace.
Otero topped the Cougars earlier in the year and because of that loss, and the fact the Cougars also lost to McCook Community College, Otero will host the women's Region IX tournament. WNCC, however, earned the second seed and will get a bye into the quarterfinals and won't have to play a first-round play-in game this weekend.
Tonight's contest was the last home game of the season and for the five sophomores, probably the last time they will play in Cougar Palace. The five sophomores have decisions to make because they could come back, but academically, they could transfer and get three years at a four-year school.
The five sophomores all earned a start in their last time playing at Cougar Palace. The five include Bella Sparaco, Shanti Henry, Ashley Panem, Maddy Campbell, and Lidsey Mahoukou.
Sparaco, who hails from Denver but transferred to WNCC from Iowa Western Community College, said this was a good win for the team especially how they overcame a sluggish first quarter where Otero led 17-8 after the opening 10 minutes.
"I think we really bounced back. We came together as a team especially since this was the last game, we came together instead of separating and made it happen," Sparaco said. "All five of us [sophomores] and everyone on the bench that game in after that played a monumental role and we just played as a team and played together, and took it to them."
The last three quarters were pivotal for the Lady Cougars as they outscored Otero in all of those quarters. Sparaco said the bid key in that first quarter flop to the excellent play in the last three quarters was just mental.
"I think it all is a mental thing. We were down but once we get it into our heads that we can win this game just like when we were down at their place, we know we have the physical capabilities to beat the team. It all is mental. Mentally we had to come back, come together, and win it."
WNCC didn't look good in the first quarter, trailing 17-4 before Martrice Brooks hit back-to-back buckets to end the quarter with Otero up 17-8.
The second quarter saw Otero jump to a 21-13 lead before Alejah Douglas had an old-fashioned 3-point play and then Lidsey Mahoukou had a bucket with 4:48 to play to tie the game at 21. Otero came back with a trey, but Shanti Henry nailed a trey and then Ashley Panem gave the Cougars their first lead with a bucket at 26-24. Panem then came back and hit another trey for a 29-24 and the Cougars would never trail again as they held a 31-30 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw Otero tie the game at 32 and trail by one, 35-34. Ky Buell changed that in a heartbeat as the Cheyenne East graduate buried two treys for a 41-34 lead. Later, WNCC went on a 9-0 run behind another Buell trey and an offensive putback by Payton Fields to lead 50-37. WNCC lead after three quarters 57-41.
The second half saw Otero score the first four points, but Brooks hit a bucket and Panem buried another treay to lead 62-45. The Cougars went up by 20 points at 67-47 as Douglas had two old-fashioned 3-point plays as the point guard used her driving magic and scored and force the and-one. WNCC won 75-55 as sophomore Henry hit a trey to end the scoring and the game.
Henry led the Cougars in scoring with 14 points, including three treys. Panem finished with 12 points and three 3-pointers, while Douglas and Buell each had 11 points. Buells also had three treys. Brooks also hit for double digits with 10 points.
The Cougars will now wait to see who they play next week at the regional tournament April 8-10 in La Junta, Colorado. As the No. 2 seed from the South, they will play a winner from this weekend. Pairings will be out later this week.
For Sparaco and the five sophomores, they played their last time at Cougar Palace potentially. For Sparaco, Panem, and Henry, they only got one year at WNCC, but Sparaco said it was a special year.
"I think just talking to Gibney, it is just a pride thing," she said. "This program has been good for so long and as sophomores we had to come in and uphold that and like everyone else that had our back on the team as well. They all came in and kept that pride that has been associated with Western Nebraska Community College basketball name for so long."
The Cougars now have regionals and hopefully nationals and then comes the hardest part of the sophomores: do they graduate and transfer and have three years at a four-year school or, because this is a COVID season and eligibility doesn't count, they could come back for another year. Sparaco said it is a wait and see situation and a lot depends on how far they go at regionals or nationals and what coaches will contact them.
"I think it will depend how far we go in the tournament," she said. "That will give us a lot of exposure for the sophomores that are on our team right now, so if we get the right looks. It is all a stepping stone, so we will see how far we go in the tournament. It is finding the right fit and if people don't find the right fit, we obviously have a home here at Western Nebraska."
Otero 17 13 11 14 – 55
WNCC 8 23 26 18 – 75
OTERO
Sophia Abela 11, Emma Florez-Pascual 10, Krystina Hagood 8, Jenna Rose Mafua 4, Destinee Paulk 2, Jada Burton 8, Graycee Lay 1, Leah Mafua 11.
WNCC
Alejah Douglas 11, Bella Sparaco 2, Ky Buell 11, Martrice Brooks 10, Shanti Henry 14, Ashley Panem 12, Payton Fields 7, Lidsey Mahoukou 8.