When the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team begins play in the Region IX tournament on Saturday in Casper, Wyo., they will be doing it with really nothing to lose.
The Cougars have put together an impressive 21-8 season and enters the tournament with a defense that is ranked eighth in the nation, allowing 49.64 points a game. The Cougars will need that strong defense when they open play Saturday at 3 p.m. against Central Wyoming College at Casper College in the first round.
WNCC has achieved a lot of success this season with a team that plays with a lot of determination with a depleted roster because of injuries, including losing leading scorer Kyra Peterson at break because of a knee injury and then losing Ajsa Zdovc to a foot injury in January before losing starting point guard Idil Ozbayrak to an ACL injury in the Northeastern Junior College contest.
Sophomore Lisa Durden thinks that many of the teams might be looking past the Cougars because of that fact.
“I think the teams will overlook us because they will think we are already down on ourselves because we don’t have a lot of subs,” she said. “But I feel like the way we have been playing with the eight of us, I feel like we are more determined. We all know we all have to step up because it is just us. We are all stepping up in our own way in order to achieve success.”
Because of the lack of a bench, Durden said offensively, this team needs to stay strong, shooting well from all areas of the court.
“All of us have to have an offensive mind and be focused in knocking down shots,” the sophomore from Inglewood, Calif., said. “When all of are knocking down shots, we are really good team and I don’t think anyone can stop us.”
But, Durden thinks this team can make a deep run if they put everything together. If the Cougars win their first-round game, they will face the winner of the Trinidad State and Sheridan College contest Sunday at 3 p.m.
To achieve that deep run into the tournament, this team needs to play together, stay focused, and play good defense.
“I think playing good defense is important because when you play good defense it translates into good offense,” she said. “If you have good defense, it motivates you and you know you are getting to the other team. Then all you have to do is execute on offense and you have the game in your hand.”
The tournament will not be an easy go as this is one of the deepest tournaments any team can upset another team. Casper College enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the north while Otero enters as the No. 1 seed from the south. The Cougars enter as the No. 3 seed from the south, posting an 11-2 subregion record, only falling to Otero and Northeastern Colorado in subregion play.
Durden said this team is really entering the contest as the underdogs but anything can happen, especially how they have played last month. She said the key for the Cougars to capture their first regional title since 2008, when they finished the season at 32-4, is to play tough and make shots. And, that is what they have been doing in running to 21 wins on the season, including huge sub-region wins against Lamar 86-81 in overtime, 61-48 over Northeast Nebraska, 83-52 over Eastern Wyoming, and McCook 61-56.
But, if the Cougars want to win the regional title, they will have to win four games in consecutive days. Durden said they might be tired by the end, but they will go out giving it their own.
“I think it will take a big toll on our bodies because we won’t have the time to rest, but if we are really focused and want to win, we will push through it,” she said. “That shouldn’t be a problem if we just stay focused. We want to surprise some people and bring home a regional title.”
The tournament kicks off Friday with four first-round contests with Dawson facing Otero (27-1) at 1 p.m., Trinidad State (5-21) meeting Sheridan at 3 p.m., Northwest Wyoming (14-16) meeting Northeastern Colorado (13-16) at 5 p.m., and Eastern Wyoming (8-22) battling Casper College (29-2) at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s first round had McCook (16-13) facing Gillette College (19-11) at 1 p.m., WNCC (21-8) battling Central Wyoming (13-16) at 3 p.m., Lamar (13-16) facing Western Wyoming (21-9) at 5 p.m. and Miles (21-9) meeting Northeast Nebraska (17-13) at 7 p.m.
The tournament runs through Tuesday with the championship game at 4 p.m. with the winner qualifying for the national tournament in Salina, Kan., March 20-24.
Live video action in the tournament can be viewed online at www.tbirds.cc/tournament.
Friday, March 9
Game 1 – Dawson vs. Otero , 1` p.m.
Game 2 – Trinidad State vs. Sheridan, 3 p.m.
Game 3 – Northwest Wyoming vs. Northeastern Colorado, 5 p.m.
Game 4 – Eastern Wyoming vs. Casper College, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 10
Game 5 – McCook vs. Gillette, 1 p.m.
Game 6 – Central Wyoming vs. Western Nebraska, 3 p.m.
Game 7 – Lamar vs. Western Wyoming, 5 p.m.
Game 8 – Miles vs. Northeast Nebraska, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 11
Game 9 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 10 – Game 6 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 11 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 5 p.m.
Game 12 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday, March 12
Game 13 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 5 p.m.
Game 14 – Game 11 winner vs. game 12 winner, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13
Game 15 – Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 4 p.m.
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