It didn’t take long for Northwest College women’s basketball to catch fire in its home opener. The Trappers burst out of the gates to a 28-9 advantage in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game against Rocky Mountain College JV.

After three weeks of long bus trips and nights in hotels, NWC head coach Camden Levett attributed the quick start to his team’s excitement to finally play in its own gym. 

“We were just happy to be home,” Levett said. “We’ve been on the road a lot. We were able to come in and shoot in the day, and that transpired into it. The comfort of being at home helped us out.”

NWC built on that lead as the game went on, eventually winning 79-50. The next day, Northwest won handily once again, defeating the Battlin’ Bears 74-43. 

But in game two, the Trappers started slow, trailing 21-20 after the first period. 

“It was hard to get them pumped up to play against the same team,” Levett said. “We weren’t really checked in; there weren’t many fans.” 

After that, NWC woke up. Rocky Mountain scored just four points in the second quarter, allowing the Trappers to take a nine-point lead at halftime. And thanks to efficient shooting and strong defense in the paint, they were able to once again win in dominant fashion. 

“Once we started playing our style of basketball, we saw the results,” Levett said. 

Sophomore Riley Aiono led the way offensively in both contests, scoring 18 both times. That included a double-double in game two. Raquel Turner was right behind Aiono, adding 16 and 17 points. Other players who scored double figures in at least one of the games were Raquel Turner, Samiyah Worrell, Shelby Tarter, Tatiana Coleman (who picked up 15 rebounds in the second game) and Adela Smutna.

The Trappers finished non-conference play 6-4, ending the slate on a three-game winning streak. 

But that is now in the rearview mirror. When NWC kicks off Region IX play against Central Wyoming Wednesday, a new campaign begins.

“We’re super excited to start region play,” Levett said. “We’ve been following the other teams in our region. As of Wednesday, everybody is 0-0 in region play. That’s all that matters.”

With non-league play complete, the Trappers are done playing in tournaments until the Region IX tournament in early April. This means they will have more time to learn about their opponents before league contests.

“We can kind of cool off a little bit,” Levett said. “That’s going to be good for us to watch film and scout some opponents.”

Tipoff of Wednesday’s game in Riverton is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., while the team returns to Cabre Gym Saturday for a 2 p.m. matchup against Laramie County Community College. 

NWC 79, Rocky Mountain 50

Points — Riley Aiono 18, Samiyah Worrell 17, Raquel Turner 16, Adela Smutna 12, Shelby Tarter 10, Tatiana Coleman 3, Hidaya Thornton 3. Rebounds — Aiono 6, Worrell 6, Smutna 6. Assists — Hannah Harris 5. Steals — Smutna 5.

NWC 74, Rocky Mountain 43

Points — Aiono 18, Turner 17, Tatiana Coleman 12, Smutna 11, Tarter 5, Worrell 4, Harris 3. Rebounds — Coleman 15, Aiono 10, Thornton 7, Worrell 7, Smutna 5, Tarter 5. Assists —Thornton 6. Steals — Thornton 5.