SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -  The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team outscored Casper College 30-22 in the middle quarters, but Casper hit clutch free throws to earn the 53-47 win Tuesday night at Cougar Palace.
Cougar head coach Ryan Davis said he liked how his team played, especially in that third quarter.
“So when we went into the locker room after the Colorado Northwestern and Salt Lake game last weekend, we have keys written up on the board and I went in there and told them (last weekend) we didn’t do any of these,” he said. “Tonight, we had three things and they’re pretty simple: rebound it, play together, be physical, and move the ball. I think three out of the four things we did. So that doesn’t reflect on the stat sheet in a lot of ways.”
What was impressive for Davis in the contest was how the team played defense, holding Casper to just 53 points. And, if the Cougars would have hit a couple more shots and a couple more free throws, the result would have been different.
“The offense has got to come along, but I was more pleased with the defense than I was last weekend and that a starting point that we ‘ve got to at least build off of,” he said. “I don’t know anybody that’s going to win a game at any level going 1-of-22 (from the arc) and not only that, going 12-for-21 (from the free throw line). You make seven more free throws and that’s not out of the realm of possibility, and we would win the game.”
The contest was an intense game. The first quarter saw WNCC take a 5-4 lead on a bucket by Ella Chesta-Carty. The game was tied at 10-10 and Casper scored the final eight points of the quarter to lead 18-10.
The second quarter saw Casper jump out to a 30-16 lead with about four minutes to play. After that, the Cougars’ defense shined, holding Casper scoreless while scoring eight straight to trail at halftime 30-24.
WNCC came out of the locker room recharged and they held Casper to just six points through the first five minutes. In the meantime, the offense stepped up as Jozefine Sipolina scored seven straight points to tied the game at 31-31. After a 3-pointer by Casper, WNCC took their first lead since early in the first quarter on a bucket by Chesta-Carty with 4:23 to play at 37-36. WNCC led 39-38 late on a Sipolina drive. The two teams were tied after three at 40-40.
The fourth quarter was one where the T-Birds outscored WNCC 13-7. WNCC within two, 49-47 with about a minute to play, but didn’t score the rest of the way.
WNCC shot just 25 percent from the field and were just 1-of-22 from beyond the arc. The Cougars were also 12-of-21 from the free throw line.
Casper only a fraction better than WNCC in shooting. The T-birds shot 36 percent from the field and were just 3-of-18 from the 3-point line. Casper was 8-of-13 from the charity stripe.
Sipolina led the Cougars with 15 points while Chesta-Carty had 13 points. Charisma Johnson had nine points.
WNCC was out-rebounded 53-41. Aniaya Burton-Hernandez had seven boards while Veralyn Aviles and Celina Donyo each had six boards.
WNCC, 1-3, will be back in action Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. as they face Laramie County Community College at Cougar Palace.

Casper 18 12 10 13 – 53
WNCC 10 14 16 7 – 47
CASPER
Luna Ueba 12, Hassana Amadu 18, Amaia Jones 5, Csenge Szomszed 9, Emily Tershalla 3, Kennedy Davila 3, Mila James 3.
WNCC
Charisma Johnson 9, Zozefine Sipolina 15, Ella Chesta-Carty 13, Brynn Sybrant 5, Veralyn Aviles 5.