WNCC opens basketball nationals Monday morning

WNCC opens basketball nationals Monday morning
(WNCC Sports Information)
April 18th, 2021 | WNCC Sports Information

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team is ready to make their fifth straight appearance at the national tournament when they open play at the NJCAA national tournament Monday morning in Lubbock, Texas.

The Cougars, who last year earned a first-round bye and seeded 7th but didn’t get to play at nationals because all tournaments were canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, will be anxious to get things started.

WNCC will open play Monday at 9 a.m. against Iowa Western Community College with the winner facing top-seed Jones College on Tuesday at 1 p.m. WNCC is the 16th seed in the tournament while Iowa Western is the 17th seed.

Bella Sparaco, who transferred to WNCC this year after spending last year at Iowa Western, said the team is anxious to play at nationals.

“I think the team is super excited to go to nationals, especially after losing in the region tournament,” Sparaco said. “Having a second chance to continue our season and get in front of coaches is a blessing.”

WNCC earned a berth at nationals as one of the eight at-large teams. The NJCAA, in fact, took three Region IX teams. Otero Junior College earned the automatic berth after winning the regional tournament. Otero is the 21st seed. Casper College also earned an at-large berth after falling for the first time all year to Otero in the title game. Casper earned a first-round bye at No. 8.

It won’t be no easy road at the national tournament for the Cougars. WNCC enters with a 15-5 record and has missed about two weeks of games and practices in March because COVID issues. Iowa Western is 22-2 on the season and has played mainly a Division II basketball schedule.

Sparaco said this is a winnable game if they play to their full potential.

“The most important thing is that we know Iowa Western is beatable,” she said. “We’re going to have to come on our A game but when we show up and play our best, we can beat anyone.”

The two losses on Iowa Western’s resume include a 73-55 loss to Kirkwood Community College on January 20 and then a 78-65 loss to Moberly Area Community College on February 8. After that, Iowa Western ran off 17 straight wins as they enter the national tournament.

Iowa Western won the Region XI championship with a 78-60 win over Northeast Community College and then defeated Triton College 105-57 in the district championship game.

WNCC also has a resume that is outstanding. The Cougars lost two games early in the year when they fell to College of Southern Idaho 81-77 on January 28 and then fell in double overtime at Casper College 95-88.

The other three losses came late in March with two coming after a 2-week COVID break to Otero Junior College on the road 70-68 and then to McCook Community College on the road 65-57 on back-to-back nights. WNCC came back to throttle Otero on March 30 by 20 points, winning 75-55.

When the Cougars are on, they are tough. The Cougars are averaging 83.8 points a game while Iowa Western is averaging 81.3 points a contest.

“We’re definitely going to have to come together and play as a team to be successful,” Sparaco said. “It’s not just about being better than the other team like we can a lot of times in our league. At this point in the season, everyone is good, and everyone is in Lubbock for a reason.”

Iowa Western has some size, too, which the Cougars will have to deal with. The size comes in the form of 6-foot-5 freshman Isnelle Natabou, who is averaging 9.4 points and five rebounds a game. The Reivers also have five other girls that stand 6-0 or taller including 6-3 freshman Ashley Bowen, 6-2 sophomore Ceassy Germano, 6-1 freshman Ali Edwards, 6-0 sophomore Dustie Obah, and 6-0 freshman Ayreona Carter.

Sparaco said the key is stopping the Reivers big girl.

“We are going to have to really shut down their big girl on Monday,” she said. “We haven’t played against a really strong and talented big this season. When we take care of business in the paint everything will fall into place.”
While Iowa Western has size, the Cougars have plenty of talent and scoring potential as well. WNCC has three players averaging over double figures on the season, led by freshman guard Alejah Douglas, who scored 35 points against Casper College in the semi-finals of the regional tournament. Douglas is averaging 18.4 points a contest and shooting 86.3 percent from the charity stripe. Douglas is 23rd in the nation in scoring and 6th in free throw shooting. Douglas is also 23rd in the nation in assists with 99 dished out.

Lidsey Mahoukou, the 6-3 sophomore center, is averaging 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds a contest. Mahoukou is tied for third in the NJCAA in field goal percentage at 60.3 percent with, who else, but Iowa Western’s Natabou.

WNCC is also getting 11.2 points a contest from freshman guard from Cheyenne East High School in Ky Buell. Buell leads the team in 3-point shooting with 31 made treys.

Those three, however, are only part of the Cougars potential scorers as sophomore Ashley Panem is averaging 8.3 points a contest, followed freshman Payton Fields at 7.2 points, freshman Martrice Brooks and sophomore Shanti Henry at 6.2 points a contest.

Sparaco said they have been successful this season and they have the potential to do something at nationals.

“We have definitely been successful this season,” she said. “There’s always room to improve and getting this chance in the national tournament is just another opportunity to further our success this year.”

WNCC has been a representative five straight years at nationals, winning the regional title in two of the years in 2017 and 2019, and earning at-large berths in 2018, 2020, and now 2021. In fact, the first at-large berth in 2018 was dramatic as they were the last team selected for an at-large berth and it came down to either WNCC or Iowa Western who would go. WNCC beat Iowa Western during that year 65-53 back on November 10 at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

This will be the 12th time the two teams will have met. WNCC holds an 8-3 record against the Reivers.

Sparaco said it is funny that she will face her former team at nationals.

“It’s so ironic that we are playing my old school on Monday,” she said. “I can’t wait to come out with W with this team and show that we’re meant to be chosen to play this week.”

A win against Iowa Western will pit the Cougars against top-seeded Jones College, who is 20-0 on the season. WNCC and Jones have faced each other just once with Jones winning 64-42 at the 2017 national tournament in Lubbock, Texas.

NJCAA Women’s National Tourney

Monday, April 19 Games

First Round Games

9 a.m. – No. 16 WNCC vs. No. 17 Iowa Western.

11 a.m. – N0. 9 Three Rivers vs. No. 24 Eastern Oklahoma State

1 p.m. – No. 15 Gulf Coast State vs. No. 18 Miles

3 p.m. – No. 10 Wabash Valley vs. No. 23 Independence

5 p.m. – No. 13 Georgia Highlands vs. No. 20 Southern Idaho

7 p.m. – No. 12 Butler vs. No. 21 Otero

Tuesday, April 20 First-round Games

9 a.m. – No. 14 Moberly Area vs. No. 19 Eastern Arizona

11 a.m. – No. 11 Tyler vs. No. 22 Walters State

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