The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team put four players in double figures in holding Central Wyoming College to just five second-quarter points in posting the 70-51 win in the final day of the WNCC Classic at Cougar Palace Saturday.

              Shiho Isono and Mackenzie Joseph each scored 13 points to lead the Cougars. Joseph also had eight rebounds. Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo and Jayla Owen each had 10 points.

              The other women's game in the WNCC Classic saw the Northwest Trappers outscore Northeastern Junior College 10-6 in the fourth quarter after trailing 50-49 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for the 59-56 win.

              As for the Cougar women, they didn't need any last-second heroics, but they got first-quarter heroics in their win.

              WNCC interim head coach Isaac Lu said they played well except for the slow start.

              "I thought overall we played a solid game," Lu said. "There were stretches that we played really well and then stretches that we didn't. When we play really well, we are really, really good. We have to find a way for our team to put 40 good minutes together."

              The stretch that Lu was talking about was the start of the contest where Central Wyoming was out-playing the Cougars for much of the first quarter. WNCC led 7-2 before Central Wyoming went on a 10-2 run to lead 12-9 and led 20-14.

              That was when WNCC picked it up as Ola Duda hit a bucket and then Yara Garcia got a steal and lay-in. Joseph then popped in a 3-pointer that beat the buzzer to give the Cougars a 21-20 lead after one quarter.

              WNCC carried the momentum from the final two minutes of the first quarter the rest of the game as the Cougars played strong defensively in the second quarter, holding Central Wyoming to just five points.

              Lu said this team hits big shots and can play defense and that is the mark of a good team.

              "All season long, we had multiple players step up and have not only big moments, but had big individual games that helped us win matchups. Tonight was no exception. We had a bunch of players step in and contribute. That is something for the strength of our team that we have a very balanced scoring. Everyone is a threat to go and make a play for our team at any given time."

              While the team hit big shots, the defense also played well as they generated a 10-second back-court violation and had some shot clock violations as well. Lu was pleased with how his defense played.

              "We had a stretch in that fourth quarter where we created multiple turnovers in a row that led to easy baskets for our team," Lu said. "It is about doing that consistently through the span of 40 minutes of a game. If we can do that, we will be hard to beat."

              WNCC continued the 7-0 run that ended the first quarter by outscoring Central 18-5 in the second 10 minutes. WNCC led 28-20 after a bucket by Joseph off an assist from Bre Fowler. WNCC led 34-24 on back-to-back buckets by Faith Walker and capped off the second quarter on a 5-0 run as Fowler got the ball with seconds remaining and drove the length of the floor and hit a lay-in just before the halftime buzzer for the 39-25 lead.

              The third quarter saw the Cougars jump to a 45-28 lead after a Fowler trey. Central Wyoming came back to cut the lead to single digits at 47-36 on back-to-back treys before Isoni had a bucket to give the Cougars the 49-36 lead after three.

              The fourth quarter saw the Cougars go on a 15-3 run to lead 64-39 behind 3-pointers from Fowler and Owen for a 64-39 lead and never looked back.

              The Cougars won the battle in the paint, outsourcing Central Wyoming 44-16. The Cougars also out-boarded the Rustlers 49-36 and had 19 assists, led by Owen with six.

              The Cougars will wrap up the first semester schedule with a game at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Tuesday.

C. Wyo.          20 5 11 15 – 51
WNCC (10-4)   21 18 10 21 – 70
CENTRAL WYOMING
Ivana Bijic 11, Kamya Jones 9, Chevelle Boyd 7, Haydn Collie 7, Taylor Elam 6, Kalista Niu 4, Criselle Mendosa 3, Melanie Garcia 2, Alexis Varela 2.
WNCC
Shiho Isono 13, Bre Fowler 10, Mackenzie Joseph 13, Jayla Owen 10, Faith Walker 8, Ola Duda 7, Yara Garcia 5, Mia Jaye Sarkodee-Adoo 4.