Your future, our focus
Central Wyoming was slow to get the message and Alexi Payne doesn’t care if the Rustlers never get it.
Payne, a Northwest College freshman from Molt, Mont., came off the bench in the second quarter of the Lady Trappers’ 74-68 triumph last week and tossed down four quick 3-pointers.
“They were all from the same place,” coach Janis Beal said.
CWC never adjusted its defense, so Payne took over the basketball game by setting up on the right wing and letting it fly.
“We were OK with that,” Beal said of the Rustlers’ failure to switch.
Payne certainly was. She scored a team-high 19 points in a pivotal role off the bench.
“It felt good to get in a rhythm,” Payne said. “When it happened, I wasn’t really thinking.”
She was just taking advantage of favorable circumstances and when it comes to the game film it’s fine if the Rustlers never study it.
“I hope not,” she said.
The other major way the Trappers kept CWC from mounting a comeback was shooting free throws as if they invented them. Northwest, now 12-10 on the year, made 18 of 21 foul shots, 13 out of 15 in the fourth quarter.
“We’re a good free-throw shooting team anyway,” Beal said.
This time the freebies get credit for winning the game.
Payne’s main assistance came from Kira Marlow, who scored 11 points, and Dani McManamen, who scored 8 and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“We talk about the concept of rebounding that it is mostly effort and that’s what you get from Dani,” Beal said.
McManamen believes the Trappers can make a late-season rush to the top of Region IX by playing their best for the rest of the season.
“I think there’s no limit as to what we can accomplish,” she said. “We have a lot of talent.”
McManamen and Beal would like to think a 76-48 loss to a strong Western Wyoming team last week is a blip to forget.
Northwest shot just 25 percent from the floor, fell behind early and could never make a dent.
“I thought we just didn’t come out ready to play from the beginning,” Beal said.
Center Dallas Petties avoided the team’s slow start and struggles with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
“It was definitely one of her better games of the year,” Beal said.