NWC ready for quarterfinals in La Junta

Posted 4/8/21

Northwest College women’s basketball is on a mission to survive and advance — a common mantra this time of year.  

The Trappers (10-11) escaped with an 82-78 overtime win over …

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NWC ready for quarterfinals in La Junta

Posted

Northwest College women’s basketball is on a mission to survive and advance — a common mantra this time of year. 

The Trappers (10-11) escaped with an 82-78 overtime win over Western Wyoming in Friday’s Region IX play-in game at Cabre Gym. Now, they will head to La Junta, Colorado, for the quarterfinals, where they will look to build on their momentum. 

NWC’s quest continues today (Thursday) at 5:30 p.m., when it faces off against Otero Junior College, the tournament’s host and No. 1 seed in the south division.

“We’re excited to take on Otero,” said NWC head coach Camden Levett said. “I watched a few of their games over the weekend and have a good feel for them now.”

To watch the game online, visit www.oterorattlers.com/sports/wbkb/index.

Here’s a preview of the matchup by the numbers:

   

75 — In overtime against WWCC, Northwest came in clutch at the free-throw line, shooting 75% (6-of-8). 

The charity stripe has been an area of struggle for the Trappers this year, with their season percentage at 60.6%. But their effort from the line in OT helped push them past the Mustangs, who missed six attempts in the bonus period. 

    

35 — Sophomore post Riley Aiono led NJCAA Region IX with 35 blocks in the regular season, helping her earn a spot on the region’s All-Defensive Team. Aiono is also averaging 6.2 rebounds per game this year.

    

2 — Two Trappers earned spots on the All-Region Team: Samiyah Worrell and Sydney Prather. 

Worrell averaged 14.6 points per game, scoring double digits in 16 of 21 games played this year. And Prather averaged 8.7 points per game while posting a stellar 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Both are sophomores and will graduate from the program after the season. 

    

12.4 — Otero is one of the region’s best rebounding teams, posting a rebound margin of 12.4 in the regular season. The Rattlers are averaging more than 40 boards per contest.

Their leading rebounder is Emma Florez-Pascual, who averaged 7.9 rebounds per game in the regular season. She was also their most consistent scorer, posting 11.7 per contest, on average.

    

15 — OJC won 15 games in the regular season, while losing just three times. The Rattlers’ wins include formidable opponents, such as Western Nebraska, Laramie County and McCook. 

They were on a 13-game winning streak before Western Nebraska Community College took them down to end the regular season on March 30.

    

3 — Northwest will need to win three games to become Region IX’s 2021 champions. That won’t be easy, with several quality teams competing in the tournament. 

But it’s a season of madness, and the Trappers have shown their ability to compete with strong opponents throughout the season.

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