The old cliché that defense wins games definitely is the case for the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team as they enter the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament in Salina, Kan.
WNCC’s full-court defense definitely has been the catalyst in getting the Cougar women to the national tournament. The Cougars open play Tuesday at 9 a.m. against 32-1 Gulf Coast Community College at the Bicentennial Arena. The series record between the two teams stands at 1-1, with WNCC winning 67-66 in 1998 and GCCC winning in 2003.
“The full-court press has helped us with the defense; there is no question,” head coach Dave Harnish said. “We have to play that way [to be successful] and to do that, you have to be deep. I think more so, when you press, it helps provides easier opportunities offensively. We are not a big team where we can just pound the ball inside on an half-court game. We have to create turnovers with our press and defense in order to be successful offensively.”
The Cougars are giving up a whooping 49 points a game, third in the nation. In fact, the Cougars defensive stand has been relentless since early in the season when the team was just 4-3 on the season. Harnish said the reason for the turnaround is because of the switch in defense, something he realized the team needed to be successful.
“We were strictly playing man-to-man and then we switched defenses because the majority of our kids are from 5-9 to 6-foot,” he said. “We could afford to switch because there is not that big of a height difference for us to create mismatches because of our size. We are not tall but we are not small. A lot of teams this age don’t switch defenses. I just think we are a little unique then a lot of teams where we run a switching defense.”
This year’s Cougars team is unique in several ways. For one, they weren’t even considered a favorite to win the Region IX tournament. Miles Community College, who was No. 12 in the nation and suffered just one loss in the regular season, had their bags packed for nationals. Even Sheridan College, who sported the top two scorers in Region IX, thought they had a clear shot at going to the Region IX championship game.
It didn’t happen as the Cougars topped Sheridan 84-78 in the quarter-finals at regionals and then defeated Miles 51-48 in the championship game on the Pioneers home court.
And, it was the team’s pressuring defense that jumpstarted the offense. The Cougars have 423 steals on the season with six players having 40 or more steals already this season. Plus, two others are just a few steals from that plateau.
Shaquilah Davis leads the team with 71 steals this season, followed by Emma Beddome with 50, SeLina Ysac with 49, Alison Cheney with 44, Tawny Drexler with 42 and Chelsea Lyles with 40. WNCC have converted 530 points off turnovers.
Davis, who had seven steals in the win against Eastern Wyoming College to open regionals, said this team succeeds on defense because of their quickness.
“I think we are a good defensive team now because we work together as a team,” Davis said. “We have good rotation. That is what it takes, everybody helping each other out and everybody needs to be where they need to be.”
Davis said they will need to continue their strong defense at nationals.
“Teams look at us and see that we are small, but we are quick and our defense is good,” she said. “We need to play good defense like we did against Miles, if not better. We need to shut down their posts. They have four 6-2 girls. We have to rotate because they have shooters. We have to come out hard and play.”
The Cougars enter the opening game of the tournament against the Commodores on a nice roll, both offensively and defensively. The Cougars have won 13 straight games, including 26 of their last 27. Offensively, the team has scored 70 or more points in 10 of the last 13 games since their last defeat on Jan. 23 against Northeastern Junior College. In fact, the team has scored 80-plus points six times during that stretch, including four times in the final two weeks of the season.
Defensively, the team has been just as sterling, giving up less then 50 points in eight of the team’s last 13 games. Harnish said he is proud of how this team has turned the things around.
“I think this is one of my better teams that is playing well at the right time playing the right way, and the kids have really learned to do that. That is what has made us successful,” Harnish said. “We are not a good enough team that if we don’t compete and work hard with a lot of intensity, we are going to struggle. They learned they need to do that, and that is what this team has done.”
When the Cougars were at the Region IX tournament, Harnish said this team went into the tournament determined and competed hard every night. They will need that same mentality at the national tournament.
“We have learned to play hard and to be competitive every night,” he said. “We have the attitude that we are not going to lose. That is one thing that this team has done very well, is doing whatever it takes to win.”
WNCC definitely will need a good defensive, as well as offensive, effort against Gulf Coast. The Commodores enter the tournament giving up 54 points a game (13th in the nation), while scoring 84 points a game. Gulf Coast also has five players averaging in double figures.
As much as Gulf Coast seems to be the favorite, the Cougars are not that far behind Gulf Coast. WNCC entered the national polls at No. 25 for the first time this year, after a No. 9 pre-season ranking. The Cougars are averaging 73.1 points a game and is one of the top teams in the nation in 3-point shooting, nailing 36.6 percent of their shots (3rd in the nation). Gulf Coast is No. 4 in the nation in 3-point shooting. Both teams are also among the nation’s leaders in field goal shooting, the Commodores making 47.7 of their shots, while the Cougars are at 46.6.
What makes Harnish pleased with the accomplishments of this year’s team is because of the versatility of this year’s team.
“We had to adjust with the offense as well because we don’t have a true post player that we can throw the ball into to and get 20 points a night,” he said. “Everyone of our players can step out and shoot the three and any one of them can go in and post up. That is a little different today because most teams have specialties where you have a point guard and a big kid and we really we don’t have either one of those.
“Traditionally I have always tried to have a good balance offensively and not rely on one person to score and set up plays for them.”
Tuesday’s First Round Games
9 a.m. -- Gulf Coast vs. Western Nebraska
11 a.m. -- Jefferson College vs. Monroe Community College
1 p.m. -- Southern Idaho vs. Walters State
3 p.m. -- Arkansas-Ft. Smith vs. Lake Region State College
5:15 p.m. -- Central Arizona College vs. Georgia Perimeter
7:15 p.m. -- Barton County vs. Shelton State Community College
Wednesday’s First Round Games
10 a.m. -- Trinity Valley vs. Midland College
Noon --- Southeastern Illinois vs. East Central (Miss)
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