GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team saw all nine players score with five hitting double digits as the Cougars ran to their 11th win of the season with a commanding 95-53 win over Miles Community College in the second day of the Holiday Inn Express Classic in Gillette, Wyoming, on Friday.
WNCC moves to 11-3 on the season and will wrap the classic and the first semester when they face the host school Gillette College on Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Cougars shot 47 percent from the field and were 38 percent from beyond the arc (12-of-32). WNCC also made 19-of-24 free throws.
The Cougar defense held Miles to 42 percent shooting and just 3-of-17 from the 3-point arc.
All nine players for the Cougars hit the scoring column, led by Lidia Hernandez with 19 points with three 3-pointers. Adelina Urtane chipped in 16 points while Zozefine Sipolina had 13 with three treys, Laura Montiel had 12 points, and Helena Kuck had 10 points.
The rest of the scoring saw Carleigh Pszanka net eight points, Asia Mitchell with seven points, Katie Vierra with six, and Nataly Dunka with four points.
Mitchell led the rebounding attack with 10 boards while Montel had seven assists and five steals.
Early on, it was a battle between the two squads. Miles held a 9-7 lead in the first quarter. That was when the Cougars offensive shifted gears and the defense was playing intense. The Cougars went on a 11-0 run and 14-4 run to close out the first quarter to lead 21-11.
The second half saw Miles slice the deficit to single digits, but it was only briefly as the Cougars outscored the Pioneers 24-13 to hold a 45-24 lead at halftime.
The third quarter is where WNCC ignited as they scored 31 points. Kuck started things with a 3-pointer and WNCC went up 65-30 behind a 3-pointer by Vierra and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Pszanka. WNCC led 76-38 after 30 minutes of play.
The fourth quarter was back and forth with both teams exchanging baskets. WNCC led 90-45 with five minutes to play. Miles made their only big run of the game, scoring the next eight points to make it 90-53. WNCC stopped the run when Pszanka hit one of two free throws with 2:31 to play and the Cougars won 95-53.
WNCC (11-3) 21 24 31 19 -- 95
Miles City ( ) 11 13 14 15 – 53
WNCC
Helena Kuck 10, Laura Montiel 12, Adelina Urtane 16, Zosefine Sipolina 13, Nataly Dunka 4, Lidia Hernandez 19, Katie Vierra 6, Asia Mitchell 7, Carleigh Pszanka 8.
MILES
Taylor McCarthy 6, Lainey Smith 8, Isabella Gurie 8, Hannah Wilder 11, Kora Labrie 2, Gracie Anderson 6, Leila Mamangum 2, Pien Draisma 5, Macey Dionne 5.