MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team came up a bucket short against McCook Community College, falling to the Indians 58-56 in a South Sub-region contest Wednesday in McCook.
The loss snapped a 5-game winning streak and moved the Cougars to 5-1 in the South sub-region. WNCC and McCook are tied for the lead at 5-1 and Lamar is 4-1 after the Lopes defeated Trinidad State 77-44 Wednesday night.
Other sub-region scores Wednesday saw Northeastern Junior College defeat North Platte Community College 65-61. North Platte will be WNCC's next opponent as the Knights come to Cougar Palace on Sunday, February 1 with a 1 p.m. start.
The North sub-region games on Wednesday saw Gillette top Laramie County 89-54, Northwest defeat No. 23 Casper 81-62, and Eastern Wyoming came back to down Western Wyoming 63-59.
Wednesday's loss was the first time McCook has defeated the Cougars in eight tries. The last time coming on March 21, 2021, when they upset No. 9 WNCC 65-57.
Wednesday's contest saw WNCC only lead three times in the first three quarters. The first 10 minutes was a showdown as the two teams battled to a 17-17 tied. WNCC last led 15-14 on a Verlyn Aviles bucket. McCook answered with a 3-pointer and Celina Donyo tied the game with a field goal.
The second quarter was low scoring as neither team could hit a shot until McCook hit a bucket with 5:56 to play in the quarter. Both teams were tied at 21-21 when McCook went on a 4-0 run to lead 25-21 and closed out the half on another 4-0 run to lead 28-22 at the break.
The third quarter saw McCook forge to a 33-23 lead. WNCC fought back to slice the deficit to a single point at 37-36 on an Aviles old-fashioned 3-point play and then one of two free throws by Ella Chesta-Carty with 3:22 to play. WNCC managed just two points the rest of the third as McCook went on a 7-0 run to lead 44-38 after three quarters.
WNCC came out in the fourth and scored six straight points to tie the contest at 44-44 on buckets by Aviles and Zozefine Sipolina. WNCC took its first lead of the game since the first quarter at 48-47 with 6:10 to play on a Aniaya Burton-Hernandez bucket. After that it was a chess match with both teams answering each other play on the court. WNCC tied the game at 54-54 with 2:28 to play on a Sipolina 3-pointer. McCook went back in front 56-54 with a bucket. Chesta-Carty tied the game at 56 with two free throws with 21 seconds to play. McCook hit two charity tosses with 13 seconds and WNCC had a chance to either take the lead or tie the came and the shot missed and the Cougars couldn't get off another shot before the final buzzer.
The difference in the contest was shooting. WNCC was just 28 percent from the field and 3-of-23 from beyond the arc. McCook shot 48 percent from the field and were 3-of-10 from 3-point range.
WNCC had two in double figures as Aviles led the way with 18 points while Chesta-Carty had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
WNCC (15-7) 17 5 16 18 – 56
McCook (12-10) 17 11 16 14 – 58
WNCC
Verlyn Aviles 18, Ella Chesta-Carty 17, Celina Donyo 8, Zozefine Sipolina 7, Amiaya Burton-Hernandez 2, Juseana-Rae Delatori 2, Charisma Johnson 2.
Region IX Standings
After Wednesday's Games
South Sub-region
Conf Overall
WNCC 5-1 15-7
McCook 5-1 12-10
Lamar 4-1 12-5
Otero 2-2 3-15
NJC 3-3 7-15
North Platte 2-4 5-15
Southeast 0-4 2-16
Trinidad 0-5 2-16
North Sub-region
Conf Overall
Gillette 4-1 16-7
Northwest 4-1 16-7
C. Wyoming 3-1 10-10
Casper 2-2 18-4
EWC 1-3 11-10
W. Wyoming 1-3 14-8
LCCC 0-4 8-12