The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team's 12-game win streak came to an end as Western Wyoming outscored WNCC 43-27 in the second half to pick up the 75-67 win Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Palace.
WNCC, who came into Wednesday's contest ranked 24th and winners of their last 12, shot just 36 percent from the field including making just 5-of-23 3-pointers. Western Wyoming made 44 percent from the field and buried seven treys.
WNCC head coach Isaac Lu said it was a tale of two halves for the Cougar women.
"I thought we had a nice first half and we struggled to close it out," Lu said. "We had a couple girls battling sickness and had adversity in general. The goal of our team right now is to find a way to have the toughness to go in and be successful on any given night. Tonight, we weren't the toughest team and the tougher team won."
WNCC drops to 15-2 on the season and they have very little time to worry about the loss as they travel to face Casper College on Friday. Lu said they definitely can learn from the loss.
"This is a good learning game. Winning is great, but losing is where we learn the most," he said. "So, whenever we get these opportunities even though how much it sucks, we have to go in and brace it and it will help us to be better in every aspect of what it means for us to be successful."
The Cougars had a very strong first half as they only trailed a couple of times in the opening 20 minutes. Western Wyoming led 5-0 before WNCC went up 9-5 on five straight points from Amiyah Donaldson. WNCC pushed the lead to 15-8 on a Helena Kuck trey and led 20-15 after the first quarter on a Gal-La Font steal and bucket.
Western Wyoming opened the second quarter with seven straight points and a 3-pointer by Anja Ekstrom with 8 minutes to play gave the Mustangs the 22-20 lead. The two team were knotted at 24-24 when WNCC went on a scored the next eight points including five straight points by Kuck including a trey to go up 32-24. WNCC led 40-30 after a Faith Walker bucket, but the Mustangs scored the last points of the half to send the Cougars into the locker room up 40-32.
The two squads traded buckets for the first four minutes of the third as WNCC held a 50-39 lead after a Mackenzie Joseph bucket. That was when Western Wyoming would go on a 13-1 lead over the next four minutes and holding the Cougars to just free throw to lead 52-50 on a Nyah Vermeulen bucket.
WNCC came back to go up 55-52 on four points from Joseph, but the Mustangs scored the final three points as the two teams were knotted at 55 after periods.
Walker and Ebere Egbirika each hit a bucket to start the fourth for the Cougars for a 59-55 lead and WNCC led 63-51 on a Walker bucket. Western Wyoming followed that by holding WNCC to just four points in the final 5:44.
The Mustangs went up 64-63 on an Ekstrom trey and led 67-63 on a Kayde Strauss bucket. WNCC tied the game at 67 on four points from Walker with 2:26 to play, but Western Wyoming scored the final eight points and holding the Cougars scoreless for the win.
The game was won by the free throw line as WNCC was whistled for 22 fouls to just 12 for Western Wyoming. The Mustangs converted 24-of-32 charity tosses while WNCC was 12-of-20.
WNCC had just two in double figures. Walker had a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Joseph chipped in 11 points and had five rebounds. Font had nine points while Donaldson and Kuck each had eight points.
Western Wyoming had four in double figures, led by Sierra Eddie with 20 and Ekstrom with 16, including going 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.
W. Wyoming 15 17 23 20 – 75
WNCC (15-2) 20 20 15 12 – 67
WESTERN WYOMING
Kayde Strauss 15, Kyara Tinajero 1, Nyah Vermeulen 8, Anja Ekstrom 16, Sierra Eddie 20, Ashley Christensen 5, Korina Buhovac-Bjornstedt 10.
WNCC
Amiyah Donaldson 8, Ebere Egbirika 6, Helena Kuck 8, Gal-La Font 9, Faith Walker 23, Mackenzie Joseph 11, Adelina Urtane 2.