CASPER, Wyo. – The 4th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team held Northwest College to just two third-quarter points and ran away with an 100-28 win in quarterfinal action at the Region IX tournament in Casper, Wyoming, Thursday afternoon.
The Cougars advance to play Eastern Wyoming College in the semifinals on Friday at 5 p.m. EWC was a 67-50 winner over McCook Community College. The other semifinal will pit Casper College against Laramie County Community College. Casper was a 75-43 winner over Otero College, while LCCC defeated Trinidad State College 89-54.
The winners of the semifinals will meet for the Region IX championship Saturday at 4 p.m. with the winner earning the automatic berth into the NJCAA national tournament March 14-19 in Lubbock, Texas.
Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, said it was a good team win.
"I think we played really well as a team," the freshman said. "We shot the ball pretty decent, shared the ball well and our defense led to good offensive plays."
The Cougars were sharp defensively, forcing Northwest into 37 turnovers while collecting 27 steals. WNCC also held Northwest to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters. The nine points that the Cougars allowed in the second half is tied for fifth in the record book. The record is just two points set in 2011 by NCTA-Curtis.
Sarkodee-Adoo said the defense was especially strong on the day.
"Our defense was intense," she said. "We squeezed the ball well and didn't over help too much which led to their turnovers."
WNCC took control of the game after the first five minutes of the first quarter. WNCC led 6-0 and later 13-6. It was then the Cougars open the game with a 9-0 run that was led by a 3-pointer by Shanti Henry. After three points from Northwest, the Cougars closed out the first quarter on another 9-0 to lead 31-9.
The second quarter started with WNCC scoring the first nine points on an old-fashioned 3-point play by Amani Brown and back-to-back 3-pointers by Henry and Payton Fields. Northwest nailed a field goal to stop the run, but it was only temporary as WNCC went on a 12-0 run to lead 52-11 and led 59-19 at halftime.
The Cougars led 63-19 before Northwest scored their only bucket of the third quarter. After that, WNCC reeled off 19 straight to lead 82-21 as Ale'Jah Douglas scored the last six points of the quarter.
WNCC then outscored Northwest 18-7 in the fourth quarter for the win.
WNCC put five players in double figures. Douglas led the way with 18 points. Fields and Martrice Brooks each finished with 12, while Brown tallied 11. Sarkodee-Adoo had 10. Yara Garcia was close to double-digits with nine points, while Aminata Zie had eight points.
WNCC won the rebound battle 44-32. Sarkodee-Adoo had eight followed by Panem and Rashaan Smith each with six.
Sarkodee-Adoo said they just need to continue playing like that in order to get a regional title.
"We need to continue to play hard and bring the same energy we bought today, plus more," she said.
WNCC 31 28 23 18 – 100
Northwest 9 10 2 7 – 28
WNCC
Ale'Jah Douglas 18, Amani Brown 11, Aminata Zie 8, Shanti Henry 6, Payton Fields 12, Yara Garcia 9, Breanna Fowler 2, Martrice Brooks 12, Ashley Panem 3, Shayane Poirot 3, Genet Mebratu 2, Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo 10, Rashaan Smith 4.
NORTHWEST
Kiana Quintero 2, Kierra Cutright 9, Nayeli Acosta 5, Darla Hernandez 4, Celina Tress 8.