While the Western Nebraska Community College players and coaches were sitting on the ends of their chairs, the players on the court were bound and determined to hold Walter State from hitting the winning shot.
In the end, WNCC prevailed 55-54 over Walter’s State o advance to Saturday’s consolation finals against Shelton State out of Tuscaloosa, Ala. The way the game unfolded almost gave freshman Tawny Drexler her first heart attack.
“Thank God we won,” Drexler said. “This was way too close. I think I had my first heart attack.”
In fact, the Cougar’s heart-wrenching one-point was a little too close for comfort. But the way the team won served notice how gutsy the Cougars have been the last two months of the season, where they have won 15 of 16 games.
Drexler, who wasn’t a factor in the team’s first two games against Gulf Coast Community College and Monroe Community College, turned up the heat inside. The 6-foot post player from Colorado Springs, Colo., had her best day on the court with 14 points and five rebounds. She also had two assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
“For me, I got my confidence back on the inside,” she said. “I haven’t been scoring well, so it is good that I got mine back. I think everyone can score from wherever and we just need confidence that we can do it.”
Drexler came up big especially in the first half where she tallied 11 points to led the team. And most of her scoring came at a crucial time. With the Cougars down 20-15, Drexler scored seven straight points in a 40-second span, late in the first half to help the Cougars to a 29-23 halftime lead.
One of the reasons the Cougars came out on top like they did was because of their rebounding. In the first two games, WNCC was out-rebounded by both opponents. Friday, they out-rebounded Walters State 37-35.
“It was the confidence we had in the rebounding,” she said. “The last two days we didn’t have very good defensive rebounding and we just needed to get our bodies into the girls and go up and grab the boards.”
Chelsea Lyles led the Cougars with seven boards followed by SeLina Ysac with six, and Drexler and Dana Iverson with five each.
Drexler said the team is close to realizing a goal that the college has never achieved -- winning on championship Saturday.
“It does feel great [to be playing on Saturday],” she said. “The coaches mentioned in the locker room that they have never gone out on a win, so we are going to try to be the first team to go out on a win.”
But it won’t easy as Shelton State, who came in as the No. 12 seed, defeated a good Trinity Valley squad 81-60. Then again, the Cougars have never had a easy go of it at the national tournament.
“I think rebounding and defense mainly,” she said. “With good defense, our offense will come. We just need to have confidence in each other. Friday’s win was too close, but it was a fun win. We can definitely go out with a win.”
In the end, WNCC prevailed 55-54 over Walter’s State o advance to Saturday’s consolation finals against Shelton State out of Tuscaloosa, Ala. The way the game unfolded almost gave freshman Tawny Drexler her first heart attack.
“Thank God we won,” Drexler said. “This was way too close. I think I had my first heart attack.”
In fact, the Cougar’s heart-wrenching one-point was a little too close for comfort. But the way the team won served notice how gutsy the Cougars have been the last two months of the season, where they have won 15 of 16 games.
Drexler, who wasn’t a factor in the team’s first two games against Gulf Coast Community College and Monroe Community College, turned up the heat inside. The 6-foot post player from Colorado Springs, Colo., had her best day on the court with 14 points and five rebounds. She also had two assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
“For me, I got my confidence back on the inside,” she said. “I haven’t been scoring well, so it is good that I got mine back. I think everyone can score from wherever and we just need confidence that we can do it.”
Drexler came up big especially in the first half where she tallied 11 points to led the team. And most of her scoring came at a crucial time. With the Cougars down 20-15, Drexler scored seven straight points in a 40-second span, late in the first half to help the Cougars to a 29-23 halftime lead.
One of the reasons the Cougars came out on top like they did was because of their rebounding. In the first two games, WNCC was out-rebounded by both opponents. Friday, they out-rebounded Walters State 37-35.
“It was the confidence we had in the rebounding,” she said. “The last two days we didn’t have very good defensive rebounding and we just needed to get our bodies into the girls and go up and grab the boards.”
Chelsea Lyles led the Cougars with seven boards followed by SeLina Ysac with six, and Drexler and Dana Iverson with five each.
Drexler said the team is close to realizing a goal that the college has never achieved -- winning on championship Saturday.
“It does feel great [to be playing on Saturday],” she said. “The coaches mentioned in the locker room that they have never gone out on a win, so we are going to try to be the first team to go out on a win.”
But it won’t easy as Shelton State, who came in as the No. 12 seed, defeated a good Trinity Valley squad 81-60. Then again, the Cougars have never had a easy go of it at the national tournament.
“I think rebounding and defense mainly,” she said. “With good defense, our offense will come. We just need to have confidence in each other. Friday’s win was too close, but it was a fun win. We can definitely go out with a win.”
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