The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team will be looking to finish off the first semester in style as they prepare to host the Lady Cougar Holiday Classic beginning Thursday. The No. 18 Cougars will begin the Classic Thursday against Air Force Prep at 7 p.m. Action will then swing to multiple games on Friday and Saturday. WNCC will face Garden City Community College on Friday at 7 p.m. with Air Force Prep playing Colby Community College at 5 p.m. Saturday’s action begins at 1 p.m. with Garden City taking on the Prep school with WNCC facing Garden City at 3 p.m.
For Cougar Ariane Brown, a freshman from Colorado Springs, playing Air Force Prep will be special since she played for Air Force Prep and their coach Kelli Johnson. She is excited to be playing against her former team.
“Playing against my coach is different, but I know she is a really good coach,” Brown said. “She is capable of having her team come back on us so we always have to be on our toes and playing the whole 40 minutes and not let up.”
It will be the second time this year that WNCC and Air Force Prep hooked up. In the first encounter, WNCC escaped with a 74-63 win at a tournament at the Prep School in Colorado Springs.
WNCC also faced Garden City and Colby earlier in the season. The Cougars topped Colby 87-68 in the team’s season-opening contest. They then survived against Garden City 70-67 at the Thanksgiving Classic in Garden City, Kan.
Brown said they have to play their game in the rematch against all three teams.
“We came out pretty slow against Garden City. So, I know we will come out on top of our game,” she said. “They have a few shooters so we have to stay with them. I know No. 3 [Cheree Freeman] hit a lot of threes in the first half, so we have to protect the ball.
“The Prep school came back in the second half on us as well, but we also fouled them a lot so we just need to not reach. I think we have a lot more speed and talent to win by more then what we did the first time.”
Since the Cougars lost to Seward County Community College 63-62 at the Thanksgiving Classic, they have been playing well. Brown said that loss taught the players just how hard they have to play to win.
“Pretty much we need to keep playing like we have been playing in the last games,” she said. “Defense is key along with playing our game. As long as we stay in our offense and work the ball it will be the key for us to win. “
After this weekend’s contests, the Cougars will be back in action Jan. 15 at Lamar Community College. Brown said it would mean a lot to finish off the first semester on a 6-game winning streak.
“It would be a great finish to the first semester,” she said. “Then, to come back after the semester break knowing that we only have two losses would be great and gives us something to keep on rolling.”
NOTES:
· Thursday’s basketball promotion is Youth Basketball Night as all area youth (K-12th) will get in free when they wear a basketball jersey of their choice. Promotions for the rest of the tournament include Christmas pictures with Buddy, the Cougar between games on Friday, and then Girl Scout Day on Saturday afternoon.
· WNCC coach Dave Harnish now has 584 career wins and is sixth overall in wins in the NJCAA of active coaches. Kirkwood Community College’s Kim Muhl, who is also in her 22nd year at the school, is just ahead of Harnish. Muhl entered the season with 587 wins.
· WNCC freshman Yuki Morimoto is among the leaders in Region IX after the first regional report was released Wednesday. Morimoto is third in 3-point shooting at 59.1 percent, first in free throw shooting at 93.3 percent, third in assists at 4.5 per game, 13th in steals at 2.3 per game, and 37th in scoring at 10.5 points a game. The complete regional report can be downloaded at regionix.wncc.edu.
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