CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team were outscored 27-11 in the fourth quarter and ended up dropping their second straight 78-65 to Casper College on the road Friday night.
The Cougars shot just 38 percent in the contest and buried eight treys compared to Casper hitting 48 percent and making just four 3-pointers. The contest was won at the free throw line with Casper burying 20-of-30 free throws while WNCC was just 5-of-9.
The other big statistic was rebounding with Casper out-rebounding the Cougars 42-25.
But, even with the free throw and rebounding disadvantage, the Cougars were in the game for at least the first three quarters.
WNCC started slow in the first quarter falling behind 7-2, but came back to take a 12-10 lead on a Helena Kuck 3-pointer. WNCC closed out the first quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 20-14 after the first 10 minutes.
WNCC led 22-16 early in the second on an Amiyah Donaldson bucket. Casper responded with eight straight to take a 24-22 lead. WNCC picked it up and outscored Casper 10-4 the remainder of the quarter including a big 3-pointer by Mackenzie Joseph to lead at halftime 32-28.
The third quarter saw WNCC start slow once again. WNCC held a 35-30 lead on a Kuck 3-pointer. Casper went on a 13-6 run to lead 43-41. The Cougars’ six points came on back-to-back triples from Adelina Urtane and Kuck. WNCC responded after Casper took the 2-point lead, going on a 13-8 run that saw WNCC lead 47-43 on a Ebere Egbirika old-fashioned 3-point play and a 3-pointer by Gal-La Font.
Casper knotted the score at 49 on an Andi Schissler bucket, but Faith Walker buried a 3-pointer to put WNCC up 52-49. WNCC lead after three periods 54-51 after Font hit a bucket.
The final period saw WNCC lead 57-53 on a Kuck 3-pointer early in the fourth. The Cougars would then go on about a 4-minute scoreless spree while Casper ran off 11 straight to lead 64-57. Font hit a bucket with 5:33 to play to make it 64-59, but Casper had a key 8-0 run to go up 74-61 with two minutes to play and WNCC never could recover.
WNCC was led in scoring by Kuck with 12 points all on 3-pointers. Donaldson and Laura Montiel each had 10 points followed by nine from Egbirike.
WNCC drops to 15-3 on the season and will have a couple days to relax before opening up South Sub-region play Monday night at Lamar Community College.
WNCC (15-3) 20 12 22 11 – 65
Casper (14-4) 14 14 23 27 – 78
WNCC
Amiyah Donaldson 10, Helena Kuck 12, Gal-La Font 7, Faith Walker 7, Mackenzie Joseph 5, Ebere Egbirika 9, Laura Montiel 10, Adelina Urtane 5.
CASPER
Andi Schissler 10, Logann Alvar 15, Irene Fernandez de Caleya 8, Luca Acs 5, Adama Badjie Coly 12, Saioa San Francisco 4, Jada Clarkson 4, Angela Astorga 10, Paula Barajas-Ruiz 2, Anna Csenyi 8.
