CASPER, Wyo. – The 13th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team hit 13 treys to match their ranking in rolling past Western Wyoming Community College in the first day of the Thanksgiving Classic in Casper, Wyoming, Friday afternoon.
WNCC put five players in double figures as they shot 43.3 percent from beyond the arc with 13 3-pointers.
Amani Brown led the way for the Cougars with 20 points including four 3-pointers. Shanti Henry and Breanna Fowler each buried three treys. Henry finished with 14 points while Fowler had 11 points.
Also hitting double digits was Ale'Jah Douglas with 16 points and Martrice Brooks with 11.
Gibney said his team played well and the ball certainly went into the bucket.
"Everything looks a little better when the ball goes in the basket," WNCC head coach Chad Gibney said. "It was nice to see us connect from beyond the arc."
The 13 3-pointers is the most the team has made since 2020 when WNCC made 14 treys against Otero on February 21, 15 treys against Lamar on February 15, and 16 treys against Lamar on February 14. The record for most 3-pointers in a game is 19 set against Trinidad State on November 23, 2018.
WNCC controlled the contest early in the first quarter. Western Wyoming did lead early but after the Cougars went on a 12-0 run and the Cougars ran out to a 24-8 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter saw the Cougars and Mustangs go back and forth until WNCC went on a 6-0 run to lead 34-14 four points from Brown. The lead stayed around 20 points until late in the second when Brown buried a trey and then Aminata Zie had an old-fashioned play for a 53-16 lead. WNCC closed out the second quarter as Breanna Fowler buried a trey at the buzzer for a 56-27 halftime lead.
After the Cougars put up 32 points in the second quarter, the Cougars netted 18 in the third to go up 74-36. WNCC had a 64-36 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers by Brown and Fowler. WNCC then closed out the third quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 74-36.
The fourth quarter saw Western Wyoming out-score WNCC 8-4 to trail 78-44. That was when Brown and Henry hit back-to-back treys. WNCC never looked back after that for the 98-52 win.
WNCC shot 51 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc. WNCC was also 13-of-16 from the free throw line.
The Cougars defense held Western Wyoming to 29 percent shooting from the field and .091 percent from the 3-point arc (1-of-11). The Mustangs were 19-of-29 from the charity stripe.
WNCC won the rebound battle 43-35. Rashaan Smith led the way with six boards followed by five each from Payton Fields, Douglas, and Brooks.
Douglas also dished out 12 assists in the win and recorded seven steals.
WNCC, 7-1, will have a big test Saturday at 4 p.m. when they face No. 19 Casper College on their home floor. Gibney said they will need to play like they did today and even better to beat Casper.
"Tomorrow [Saturday] will certainly be a much bigger test," Gibney said. "Casper is a nationally ranked team."
WNCC (7-1) 24 32 18 24 – 98
W. Wyoming 8 19 11 14 – 52
WNCC
Ale'Jah Douglas 16, Amani Brown 20, Aminata Zie 9, Shanti Henry 14, Payton Fields 4, Yara Garcia 4, Breanna Fowler 11, Martrice Brooks 11, Ashley Panem 5, Genet Mebratu 2, Rashaan Smith 2.
WESTERN WYOMING
Abbie Jennings 5, Hannah Harris 5, Makalie Mignerey 6, Ashlee Wood 11, Chelsea Gunderson 18, Tayana Crowder 7.