Trappers ‘fighting’ down stretch

Posted 2/11/16

The Trappers (9-17, 2-8 Region IX-North) can technically finish as high as fourth in the North Division after they lost in Sheridan 86-68 on Feb. 3 and won 114-35 at Little Big Horn on Saturday, but their primary focus is to make the most out of the …

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Trappers ‘fighting’ down stretch

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Northwest women looking to avoid first-round contest with McCook, Western Nebraska

A 1-1 road trip kept the Northwest College women’s basketball team in the hunt for a top-four seed at next month’s Region IX Tournament.

The Trappers (9-17, 2-8 Region IX-North) can technically finish as high as fourth in the North Division after they lost in Sheridan 86-68 on Feb. 3 and won 114-35 at Little Big Horn on Saturday, but their primary focus is to make the most out of the final two weeks of the regular season.

“Our record’s not the greatest at this point but I think we’ve proven we can play with those teams, we just have to complete a game,” NWC head coach Janis Beal said. “We have to get some momentum these last four games headed into tournament time.”

Northwest is behind every Region IX-North team besides winless Little Big Horn, but the Trappers are still within reach of all besides Casper and Gillette.

“We’re fighting to get out of seventh place, really,” Beal said. “So we have to take one game at a time.”

The Trappers are 0-2 against this week’s opponents — Miles City and Western Wyoming — but lost those games by a combined 10 points (79-73 at Miles, 64-60 at home against Western).

Beal said a change in mentality, and perhaps scenery, can alter Northwest’s fortunes the second time around.

“The Miles game we lose by six at their place, and we missed 14 free throws. We did some really good things but the free throws, the mental toughness and concentration wasn’t there,” Beal said.

Northwest hosted Miles Wednesday evening, after press time. Results of the game can be found at facebook.com/powell

tribune.

The Trappers led the Mustangs by six at halftime but an 18-0 third-quarter run by Western Wyoming turned the tide.

“The Western Wyoming game, that’s the game we just didn’t play the third quarter,” Beal said. “I think developing that consistency for 40 minutes is going to be key in both of these games.”

Northwest’s loss in Sheridan was another game of runs.

After falling behind 42-30 at halftime, the Trappers scored a dozen straight to tie the game, but couldn’t find the extra push to ever take a lead.

The Generals hit a 3-pointer on their next possession to retake the lead and spark a 17-2 run of their own.

“We came out with energy and excitement to make that run that tied it up,” Beal said. “I think we relaxed a little bit, kind of like, ‘OK, now we’re back in it.’ Instead of understanding, we’re back in it, but now we have to push that much harder.”

Northwest didn’t let up after falling down by 15. Led by sophomore Kealani Sagapolu, who finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, the Trappers pulled within seven points at 69-62, but as Beal has seen before, the appropriate intensity came too late.

“That’s the thing this team has done all year long,” Beal said. “They never just caved, they always fight back, but we dig ourselves too big of a hole to get out of.”

The Generals have one true post player, and Northwest fed Sagapolu early and often to exploit Sheridan’s lack of size. Sagapolu finished 7-of-8 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line as she led the Trappers in points, field goals made and field goal percentage.

Sophomores Kennedy Netto and Aubree Porter scored nine points each while sophomore Chandler Rose led Northwest with nine rebounds.

Every Trapper got in on the action Saturday in Crow Agency, Montana.

Hatch led all scorers with 21 points and was second with 11 rebounds, while five other Northwest players scored in double figures and all 10 scored at least seven.

“She got more minutes, but she shot free throws really well, she had some good post moves inside,” Beal said of Hatch.

Sagapolu added 16 points and 16 rebounds, Rose had 13 points and nine rebounds while Maddy Johnson scored 12 points with nine rebounds.

Jacey Shaw and Lauren Hinckley each tallied 11 points, and Shelby Nicholson, Larissa Knight and Porter each had seven.

Saturday’s rematch resembled regulation college basketball for much longer than the teams’ Jan. 13 matchup, but the lopsided contest again ended with Little Big Horn playing shorthanded.

The Rams, which suited five players for the previous game, had six ready to go on their home floor, but lost one to injury in the first half, a second to fouls in the third quarter, and another to fouls in the fourth, forcing the Trappers to play five-on-three for the final five minutes.

“At least we didn’t play five on four the whole game, like we did here, but it was tough,” Beal said. “I thought the girls did a good job of trying to, in a sense, get through the game, be respectful, it was hard.”

The Trappers even kept two players at mid-court late in the game to create a three-on-three situation in the halfcourt.

Beal said the game wasn’t without its bright spots, and Northwest did what it could to use it as a means of improvement.

No player was on the floor for more than 26 minutes, and every player played at least 15.

“We ran some defenses that we haven’t worked on a lot so it gave us a chance in the first half (for) some game time experience, so hopefully we can use that in the future,” Beal said.

The future could bring a first-round matchup with Region IX-South’s McCook (22-2, 8-1 South) or Western Nebraska (19-3, 7-1), in either of which the Trappers would be underdogs. A 3-1 or 4-0 finish by the Trappers, however, could earn them a game against Eastern Wyoming (11-14, 4-4) who are currently in fourth place in the South, and lost in Powell 85-66 on Nov. 14.

“There’s that chance we can get four, five or six depending on how things go,” Beal said. “We’re playing all these teams that are right above us. If we can get some of these wins towards the end, and depending on help from other (teams).”

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