The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team dropped their second straight overtime contest as Miles Community College led for over three quarters of the contest in earning the 79-74 overtime win at Cougar Palace.
It was the Cougars second straight overtime loss after falling to Casper last week.
WNCC will try to get things back on the winning track when they host Eastern Wyoming College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. After that, the Cougars will have a weekend trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Friday and Saturday to face Central Wyoming College and Laramie County Community College.
Monday's contest was one where the Cougars put three players in double figures, but it was their shooting that was the main reason for the loss. Miles shot 36 percent from the field and buried 8-of-25 3-pointers. WNCC shot 41 percent from the field, but were just 1-of-11 from behind the arc. Miles made 25-of-33 free throws for 76 percent while the Cougars were just 61 percent from the line hitting 25-of-41.
WNCC was led in scoring from Zozefine Sipolina with 18 points followed by Ella Chesta-Carty with 13 and Celina Donyo with 11.
For much of the contest, it was the Pioneers that led. WNCC made the first bucket of the game. After that Miles went on a 12-2 run to lead 12-4. WNCC sliced the deficit to 12-11 on a Charisma Johnson bucket, but Miles went up 16-11 and led 16-13 after the first quarter.
The second quarter was a battle. WNCC cut the deficit to a single point on four different occasions but couldn't the lead. Miles went up 30-23 and led 30-25 at halftime.
The third quarter saw WNCC score six straight out of the locker room as Donyo score all six points to give WNCC a 31-30 lead. WNCC had a 41-40 lead late in the third, but Miles scored the final five points while holding the Cougars scoreless in the last minute to lead 45-41 after three.
The fourth quarter was an offensive show as Miles built a 9-point lead at 55-46. WNCC came back to score eight straight as Chesta-Carty had four points and Juseana-Rae Delatori had a steal and bucket to make it a 55-54 Miles lead. Miles led 58-54 when Sipolina hit the Cougars' first 3-pointer of the game to make it a 58-57 game. Sipolina came right back and hit a bucket with 1:31 to play for a 59-58 Cougar lead.
WNCC took a 63-62 lead on two Sipolina free throws with 23.1 seconds to play. Chesta Carty made it a 2-point lead by hitting one of two free throws with 13 seconds left. WNCC couldn't hold the lead as Miles' Matilda Sanz score with 2.4 seconds to tie the game. WNCC's last second shot wouldn't fall and the teams were headed to overtime.
Miles scored the first five points of overtime for a 69-64 lead and led 72-67. WNCC battled back to make it a 1-point contest with 20 seconds to play on a Chesta-Carty bucket. Ebele Mbagwu hit a bucket with 11.4 seconds to play for the 3-point lead. WNCC had a chance to tie but their 3-pointer was short and Miles nailed two free throws with 1.5 seconds to play for the win.
Miles 16 14 15 19 15 – 79
WNCC 13 12 16 23 10 – 74
MILES
Jai Bauman 11, Ebele Mbagwu 15, Matilda Sanz 20, Kataya Kill Eagle 4, Laynee Elness 16, Taylor McCarthy 7, Pien Draisma 5, Alexia Finley 1.
WNCC
Celina Donyo 11, Veralyn Aviles 6, Charisma Johnson 8, Zozefine Sipolina 18, Ella Chesta-Carty 13, Juseana-Rae Delatori 4, Aniaya Burton-Hernandez 9, Brynn Sybrant 5.