Your future, our focus
They could have gone out for ice cream, but the feel-good remedy for Northwest College women’s basketball players was to play as perfect a game as possible.
The Lady Trappers’ 106-42 domination of Little Big Horn College last Thursday night at Cabre Gym came one day after they dropped a tense 71-67 game to visiting Sheridan College, one that in their minds got away.
Against Little Big Horn, Northwest shot 57.6 from the field, put four players in double figures, 10 players in the scoring column and collected 23 assists on 38 baskets.
The Trappers (13-13) led 57-18 at the half, won the rebounding battle 41-21, ran the fastbreak with style and passed with crispness and authority.
“It’s so much more fun,” said forward Jessica Lohrenz of winning a game like the Little Big Horn victory as compared to losing a game like the Sheridan loss. “It’s why we play basketball.”
Guard Jessica Lessard led the Trapper scoring with 21 points.
“We shot with more confidence right from the beginning,” Lessard said. “Everybody played really well.”
Center Dallas Petties, 17 points, Alexi Payne, 14, and Kira Marlow, 13, were the other leading scorers.
Coach Janis Beal told the Trappers to focus on winning the first minutes of each quarter.
“We won all of the five minutes,” said forward Mattie Creager, “so we could have momentum.”
The Trappers got off to a blistering start against the Generals, going up 33-18 in the first half.
Sheridan spent most of the night catching up and did so at 48-48 in the third quarter. That period ended tied at 53.
The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter, but when the buzzer sounded, Sheridan was on top.
Petties excelled with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Northwest and Lessard added 11 points.
“We just struggled with getting our shots in the second half,” Petties said.
Point guard Domenica Gomes, who collected 11 assists against Little Big Horn, said the Sheridan defeat was baffling.
“I don’t understand why we lost,” Gomes said.
(Lew Freedman can be reached at lew@codyenterprise.com.)