MCC women come close to upset win

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Sierra Guy dribbles the ball upcourt for the McCook C.C. women against Western Nebraska last Saturday.

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The Indians dropped a 66-58 decision to perennial power Western Nebraska Community College of Scottsbluff in a Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference game at the True Hall gym.

Western Nebraska has five players on the roster listed at six feet or bigger, anchored by 6-7 freshman Thais Pinto of Brazil. McCook has just three players on the roster at 6-0 or 6-1.

"We had a tough time getting shots -- their length really bothers us, and they're very talented," MCC head coach Benjamin Smith said of Western Nebraska. "I felt like any time we went inside we weren't getting to the free throw line at all. I think theoretically we started settling more for a lot of three-point shots and perimeter jumpers. It works when you make those shots and it doesn't so much when you miss those shots."

Free throws were a key to the game's outcome. McCook hit 13 of 19 charity shots, while WNCC was 21 of 28 at the line. The Indians never got in the bonus situation in the second half, as the Cougars had just six fouls in the final 20 minutes.

"They were in the bonus early both halves," Coach Smith said. "Of course, we have to be more physical with them because we are out-sized and probably outmatched really if you look at it. Our kids did what they had to do.

"I think (WNCC) hitting 14 free throws in the first half really hurt us. Even so, we still only went in the locker room down six (34-28). Maybe if a couple of those fouls go the other way -- there were a couple 50-50's. I thought we took a charge down at this end, had a clean swat (block), but the officials didn't see it that way. We make it into a physical game that way, like our kids knew we had to, you've got to take the good with the bad."

Close first half

Western Nebraska broke an 18-18 tie with six unanswered points late in the first half. Donell Betts broke the string for MCC with a 3-pointer from the left corner. WNCC went on another spurt to take a nine-point lead with 90 seconds left before intermission. Lauren Woods made three of four free throws for the Indians, and Sierra Guy hit a bucket from the corner to help MCC pull within six points at the half.

The Cougars took a 10-point lead early in the second half, but the hosts came right back, anchored by a 3-pointer by Elle Hiester, to get within 45-40 with just over 13 minutes remaining. WNCC stretched the lead to 12 points, but MCC came back again, started with a 3-pointer by Emmalee Fladland. Hiester's basket with 6:46 left pulled the Indians within 55-49. Western used a short spurt to again lead by double digits.

MCC came back one final time, with Morgan Spencer's basket in the lane cutting the deficit to 62-55. The Indians could not score again until Hiester hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Hiester led McCook with 13 points and Guy added 10. WNCC was led by 5-9 guard Amber Kistler with 25 points.

"We had a couple mental lapses where we focused so much on the post that a lot of times that took away from a little of what we wanted to do on the perimeter," Coach Smith said. "I think she was the benefactor of some of those things."

Big target

The 6-7 Brazilian scored just 7 points for the Cougars, but Coach Smith said Pinto does so many other things besides score to help her team.

"I think she's a great player -- I'd love to have her on our team," Smith said. "Our posts, Julia (Hale) and Morgan (Spencer) and Jackie (Lovato), knew to match her height they had to be extramore physical with her keep her off the block.

"It was a game of proximity with her, so we kind of had to dictate where she went on the floor. Then when she did catch it in the post in the second half, she's a good passer, she drew a double team, a triple team sometimes, and she was able to find the open player. It's college basketball -- people are going to hit open shots."

Smith was happy that his team played tough with the Cougars.

"For a long, long time they've been a measuring stick in this part of the country for junior colleges, not just in Region IX, but down in the Jayhawk schools (Kansas), and they're nationally ranked," he said. "For me as a coach it was a moral victory, but the kids don't see it that way. A loss is a loss and they show up every night, they lace them up to win, that's the bottom line for them.

"For me it just shows how far we've come as a program and how hard these kids have worked. To go up against that sort of funding and that sort of facilities (that WNCC has) and to give them all they could handle and a little bit more, that speaks a lot about our program."

North Platte invades Tuesday

The McCook women have another big league game Tuesday, Feb. 9, when North Platte Community College comes to town. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at True Hall gym on the MCC campus in McCook.

"If not big just because of the rivalry, it's a conference game and there's some championship banner implications there," Smith said. "The kids will definitely be ready. I think they are really, really hungry to finish out on a winning streak."