Untimely miscues hamper SWCC women
The Southwestern Community College women’s basketball team came up short in a weekend trip to southern Missouri in search of its first victory of the 2012-13 season.
On Friday night the Spartans fell to Missouri Valley College JV in Marshall, Mo., by a 60-44 score before dropping a hard-fought 46-36 defeat Saturday at Nevada, Mo., against Cottey College.
“Both of these games are indicative of how our season has been played thus far,” SWCC coach Brett Gilcrist said. “I felt like we beat ourselves in both games with unforced turnovers, poor free throw shooting and a general lack of consistency on both ends of the floor.”
Southwestern had chances in both contests, trailing only 29-24 at halftime Friday night despite 13 turnovers and shooting only 5-of-14 at the free throw line. But the Spartans shot only 30 percent from the field while fading in the second half of a 16-point loss.
Brittany Clark, sophomore from Omaha, led the Spartans Friday with her first career double-double — 10 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Alycia Raney of Elkader chipped in with 10 points, while freshman Darian Polson of Des Moines snagged nine rebounds.
Southwestern competed much better Saturday, making a late run in the first half to take a 20-19 lead over Cottey College at the break. The run was keyed by the first half shooting of freshman Morgan Knorr of Savannah, Mo.
Again, poor second-half shooting was the Spartans’ downfall, hitting just 22 percent after intermission, and 2-8 at the charity stripe. Down six with two minutes to play, the Spartans fouled to stop the clock and Cottey converted clutch free throws to seal the 10-point win.
Knorr led Southwestern with 10 points. Polson chipped in six points and six rebounds. Clark finished a strong weekend on the boards with seven rebounds. Sophomore Jamee Miner, who had four assists Friday, contributed five steals and four blocks on Saturday.
“I was pleased with how we competed Saturday,” Gilcrist said. “Unfortunately, we committed 17 turnovers and went 2-of-12 at the free throw line. For the game we shot 28 percent overall. You can’t beat good teams when you don’t execute, but my challenge to the team was to compete like that every day.”
A huge challenge awaits the 0-10 Spartans in a trip to Council Bluffs Wednesday for a 5 p.m. contest against Division I fifth-ranked Iowa Western Community College (11-0).
MISSOURI VALLEY JV (60).
SOUTHWESTERN (44) — Brittany Clark 10, Alycia Raney 10, Kaley Folkerts 7, Darian Polson 5, Jamee Miner 4, Jaraylia Knight 2, Morgan Knorr 2 Kourtni Stumpf 2, Miranda Williams 2. Totals — 19 5-14 44. FG shooting — 19-57 (33 percent). 3-point goals — 1-4. Rebounds — Clark 11, Polson 9. Assists — Miner 4, Knight 4. Steals — Folkerts 2, Knorr 2, Stumpf 2. Blocked shots — Miner 2, Knorr 2, Zimmerman 2. .
Mo Valley — 29 60
SWCC — 24 44
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COTTEY COLLEGE (46).
SOUTHWESTERN (36) — Morgan Knorr 10, Darian Polson 6, Taylor Zimmerman 5, Alycia Raney 4, Kourtni Stumpf 3, Brittany Clark 2, Kaley Folkerts 2, Jaraylia Knight 2, Miranda Williams 2. Totals — 16 2-12 36. FG shooting — 16-58 (28 percent). 3-point goals — 2-12. Rebounds — Clark 7, Miner 6, Polson 6. Assists — Knight 4, Miner 3. Steals — Miner 5. Blocked shots — Miner 4.
Cottey — 19 46
SWCC — 20 36
