By Abel Naranjo
(Coach Zaporia Smith motivates her team before the start of the game. Photo Courtesy: Liseth Silva)
The Wilbur Wright's women’s basketball team made a visit to the Cougars of Highland Community College on March 4 to kick off their playoff journey in a win-or-go-home quarter final matchup. Unfortunately, the Rams’ season was put to an end with a tough 47-75 defeat against a strong Cougars team.
The game began with both teams scoreless in the first minute until the Cougars, led by Ariadna Kuc broke the deadlock and started a 10-0 run for Highland. Guard Amani McKinney ended the Rams’ scoring drought with a 3PT around five minutes in and guard Destiney Cox accompanied with another 3PT shot. The Rams closed out the quarter with a 6-0 run of their own and were just within four points at the end of the first, 6-10.
The second quarter was much the same as the Rams were on the back foot once again. They struggled to find a rhythm while the Cougars strung together some possessions and went on a 15-1 run with seven minutes remaining. A mid range jumper from guard Janasia Presley halfway through the quarter gave the Rams some life but the Cougars’ shots began to fall in and they started pulling away. Late in the quarter, a couple possessions from Rams’ led to a nice nine points to keep the Cougars from extending the gap further, 18-35 at half.
In the third, Highland took advantage of the turnovers from Wright which kicked off a 11-2 run in the first three minutes. The Rams had some foul trouble which Highland took advantage of; going 7-7 from the charity stripe. A pair of crucial 3PT shots from McKinney late in the quarter gave Wright confidence to close out this period with a 9-4 run, but were still outscored 15-21 and entered the final quarter down 23 points, 33-56.
In the fourth, the Rams had their strongest start. Two successful 3PT shots from McKinney and Cox kept this quarter close. Wright’s defense held the Cougars scoreless for nearly three minutes in the middle of the period but were unable to take full advantage of the struggling Highland offense. Unfortunately, a Cougars’ layup began a 11-0 run that locked down the Rams for three and a half minutes and meant the largest gap of the game; a deficit of 34 points with less than three minutes remaining. Wright closed out with a couple layups and good possessions from Azul Ortiz Eslava and Micah McNeil respectively but it was not enough, 47-75 final.
The Rams’ slow starts in three of the four quarters proved to be extremely costly. Highland’s intensity produced several Wright turnovers and offensive rebounds that helped him control the game. Meanwhile the Rams’ had short possessions and could not get shots to fall in. They struggled to punish the Cougars for their mistakes and by the time they found a flow, they were in a deep hole that was simply too difficult to crawl out from. This heavy loss eliminated the Rams from the NJCAA Region 4 tournament and marked the end of the season. Despite the elimination, this season left a valuable impact on the players.
(Starting Guard Destiney Cox prepares to take a free throw. Photo Courtesy: Liseth Silva)
Cox after the game said, “I learned that the little things like motivating and communicating to a teammate goes a long way.” In regards to her proudest accomplishment, she said “My biggest achievement was my career high against Malcolm X who were second in our division.” Best of luck to Cox who is weighing several university offers as she looks to continue her basketball career.
Eslava said “My biggest challenge was adjusting to the pace of college basketball. It’s a much faster pace and more competitive.” Eslava, a freshman forward, proved to be a key contributor to this Rams team.
Despite the elimination and roller coaster of a season for Wright, their ability to completely turn the first half around and resilient spirit is what should be most celebrated.
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