WNCC women fall to NJC for second defeat of year

                STERLING, Colo. --  In a battle of top 25 teams, it was the No. 21 Northeastern Junior College women getting the better of the No. 13 Western Nebraska Community College Saturday night 73-64.

               The Plainswomen, in picking up the win, converted on 7 of 14 3-point shots and shot 40 percent from the field.

               Freshman Leona Garrett, who finished with a game-high 10 points, said they just made too many mistakes.

               “We played well, we just made a lot of mistakes,” the freshman said. “Next game against them, we need to not turn the ball over so much and not foul as much.”

               The Cougars did play well, but for most of the game, they couldn’t get a call to go their way as the Plainswomen took the momentum halfway through the first half and ran with it.

               The beginning of the first half, though, was a battle between the NJCAA ranked teams. NJC grabbed a 16-7 lead on a bucket by Hannah Pollert. WNCC fought back tying the contest at 21-21 on 3-pointers by Leona Garrett and Kyra Peterson. NJC retook the lead on a trey by Lynnae Cox and then went on an 8-0 run to lead 32-23. NJC took a 43-33 lead into the locker room on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Adaugo Osuale.

               WNCC came out in the second half and made a game of it. After NJC took a 48-35 lead, the Cougars sliced the lead to five points, 55-50 as Thais Pinto collected six points and Peterson and Garrett each had a bucket.

               The Cougars got even closer at 56-52 on two Garrett free throws with 10 minutes to play. NJC, though, went on a 7-0 run to push the lead back to nine points at 63-52.

               Trailing by 12, 67-55 with five minutes to play, WNCC tried to make a last drive over the next three minutes cutting the lead to eight points at 67-59. But, that was a close as they could get in suffering their second defeat on the season.

               NJC shot 40.4 percent from the field and were 20 of 30 from the free throw line. The Cougars, on the other hand, were 39 percent from the field and 16 of 28 from the free throw line.

               NJC was led by Alicia Nichols with 17 points followed by Lynnae Cox with 13 and Morgan Fox with 11 points. Nichols hit on five 3-pointers.

               WNCC was paced by Garrett and Shelby Campbell with 10 points each. Both players also led the team in rebounding with six boards each.

               The Cougars will next be in action Wednesday when they host Lamar Community College at 5:30 p.m.

WNCC (19-2)                     33 31 -- 64

NJC                                      43 30 -- 73

NORTHEASTERN COLORADO

Adaugo Osuala 9, Lynnae Cox 13, Ashley North 6, Alicia Nichols 17, Morgan Fox 11, Hannah Pollart 8, Maty Diallo 9.

WESTERN NEBRASKA

Samantha Sanders 7, Shelby Campbell 10, Tiffany Moorer 4, Lisa Durden 4, Kyra Peterson 9, ChaCha Ofoegbl 8, Leona Garrett 10, Thais Pinto 8, Carolina Alves 4.