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Slow Starts Lead To Setbacks
It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the problem in Northwest College’s pair of women’s basketball losses last weekend. Slow starts cost the team dearly in losses to Central Wyoming and Sheridan College.
“We can’t keep giving teams 20-point leads and expect to come back,” said NWC head women’s basketball coach Janis Beal. “You just can’t do that in conference play.”
The Trappers surrendered 16 of the first 18 points of the contest against Central Wyoming last Wedesday and never held the lead in the 76-53 loss. The Trappers played Central Wyoming on relatively even terms for the rest of the first half after its sluggish start to the contest, but trailed 38-20. The second half saw the Trappers again surrender a big run early in the period.
“I just felt like we didn’t come out ready to play from the tipoff,” said Beal. “That led to us not knocking down shots. We also didn’t do a very good job of defending early on and let Central really get out in front of us.”
Central Wyoming also enjoyed a 43-21 dominance on the rebounding glass in the contest.
Kennedy Allen was the only Trapper to reach double figures in the scoring column. Allen showed few ill effects from a sprained ankle that kept her out of Northwest’s previous game as she paced the team with 10 points.
Saige Hartman and Mariah Duran each added nine points.
Beal felt the Trappers did a better job of stepping onto the floor prepared to play on Saturday, but the results were much the same. The Generals held Northwest to just 12 points in the first half as they cruised to a 74-52 win.
“I actually thought we came out and did some things well defensively,” Beal said of the start of the game, which saw Northwest connect on just two of its 27 first-half shot attempts. Seven of the Trappers’ 12 points in the first half came at the foul line.
“We have got to knock down some shots,” Beal said. “When you knock down just 7 percent of your shots, you cannot win a basketball game. We had some good looks, but we have to concentrate and knock down those attempts.”
Northwest and Sheridan played the second half on relatively level terms.
Mikail Burningham knocked down 11 points to lead the Trappers in scoring. Layana de Souza added 10 points.
Leslie Thronburg pulled down six rebounds to lead the Trappers in that category.
The losses slide Northwest below the .500 mark for the season. The Trapper women now carry an 11-12 record for the season. The team is 3-7 in region play and tied with Central Wyoming for sixth place in the Region IX standings.
The Trappers host Little Big Horn College (2-14, 0-9) this Wednesday. The Trappers host Air Force Prep on Saturday afternoon.
“Hopefully we can get back on track on Wednesday,” said Beal. “It’s a team we’ve played before and beat, so hopefully that will give us a little extra confidence when we step on the floor. Then, with Air Force Prep being a non-conference game, we can just go out and get back to playing basketball.”
Tip-off this Wednesday is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
C. WYOMING 76, NORTHWEST 53
Meagan Butler 4, Kennedy Allen 10, Saige Hartman 9, Mariah Duran 8, Savannah Minder 7, Layana de Souza 2, Makail Burningham 5, Leslie Blackburn 7
SHERIDAN 74, NORTHWEST 52
Kennedy Allen 9, Layana de Souza 10, Taylor Ryan 1, Mariah Duran 6, Savannah Minder 7, Mikail Burningham 11, Leslie Thronburg 6, Leslie Blackburn 2.