March 28, 2024

SWCC falls just short of a comeback

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It was North Central Missouri College’s (6-3) fast pace and hard screens, combined with Southwestern Community College’s missed shots that led to SWCC (4-5) not completing a comeback in a 75-74 loss Wednesday night.

SWCC’s head coach Bryan Austin said his team missed easy shots and didn’t rebound the way the team needed to win as they shot 43.1% from the field.

The Spartans came out early and put up quick shots on offense but struggled to stop NCMC’s offensive attack.

NCMC was led by Kortlyn Rounkles who was running the floor and facilitating the ball. She tallied three quick assists to start off the first half, but it wasn’t Rounkles’ passing that put the most pressure on SWCC’s defense, it was her scoring.

Rounkles put up 18 points in the first half shooting 63.6% from the field. Despite the strong start from the Lady Pirates’ guard, SWCC wasn’t to be outdone. A strong first half down low from Simone Jordan kept the game close. SWCC’s game plan was to use the floor and avoid being one dimensional.

“A little bit of versatility,” said Austin. “Attack on the inside, attack on the outside, a little bit of all of that. Our inside game is pretty strong, just wasn’t strong enough.”

Jordan put up 13 points in the first half on 50% shooting. Combining with Jordan’s 13 points, 27 of SWCC’s 34 first half points came inside.

At the end of the first half, SWCC started to play stronger defense and stopped the Lady Pirates to get back into the game. Jordan had a 3-point play which cut the lead to 34-30. Sticking around, SWCC’s self harm is what allowed its momentum to slip away.

Six first-half turnovers killed the Spartans. After the final turnover of the half, NCMC went on a six-point-run to extend its lead before Austin called a timeout. The momentum killer helped as SWCC recovered enough to bring the game back to 40-34, a slim six point deficit.  To start the second half, the Spartans needed to make adjustments on more than just the offensive side.

“We just needed to tighten up the defense overall,” said Austin. “They were just getting too many easy looks, too many easy plays.”

NCMC picked up momentum quickly. The Lady Pirates stormed out of the gate on offense and grabbed a 48-36 lead with 7:42 left in the third. Things didn’t stop there though. NCMC went on a 17-5 run. The lead increased to a 57-41 lead with 3:13 left in the 3rd.

As things seemed to spiral out of control, a shot finally fell for SWCC. After a made basket for NCMC, the Spartans responded with another basket of their own. The offensive drought was fading and the defense started to gain some life.

The crowd picked up and became more excited with each shot that fell for the Spartans. Shortly after trailing by 16 points, the lead was cut down to 54-59. The crowd was animated as the buzzer sounded at the end of the 3rd.

It was the home stretch, and SWCC fought its way back into the game. SWCC stormed out to start the final quarter and keep the run going – it would ultimately reach 16 points. The Lady Spartans didn’t keep their foot on the pedal, and things went back-and-forth in the final quarter as each team found a rhythm of their own.

A steal and score from Jordan tied the game with 14.9 seconds remaining. NCMC hit a 3-pointer to take a 75-72 lead. A layup cut the lead to one point and Austin took his final timeout.

A quick foul sent NCMC to the line. A missed free throw and a chance for SWCC. One of the plagues of the night for the SWCC bit again. The Sparatans couldn’t rebound, and the ball bounced off a SWCC knee which gave NCMC the ball back as time expired.

“I think we stepped off the gas way too soon, and so you let them back in it. And that’s what you get,” Austin said.

Up next for the Spartans is a home game against Johnson County Community College Tuesday, Nov. 26.

North Central Missouri 75, Southwestern 74

NCMC (75) — 18 22 19 16

SWCC (74) — 21 13 20 20

NCMC (FG FT PTS) — Totals —31 9-16 75. Kortlyn Rounkles 8 3-5 21, Da'Briauna Bables 9 2-5 20, Lily Osborn 5 0-0 12, Kennedie Kieffer 4 0-0 8, Dymeria Guillory 1 2-4 4, McKenzie McBee 1 2-2 4, Rylee Wiseman 2 0-0 4, Brittney McKay 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals (4) — Rounkles 2, Osborn 2. Team fouls — 7. Fouled out — None.

SOUTHWESTERN (FG FT PTS) — Totals — 28 14-15 74. Simone Jordan 8 5-5 22, Brielle Baker 4 5-5 15, Kaylynn Tucker 7 0-0 14, Meghan Allen 3 1-1 7, Kayela Willis 2 2-2 6, Whynter Waterhouse-Brennan 2 0-0 4, Eden Billups-Campbell 1 1-2 3, Samantha Hagedorn 1 0-0 3. FG shooting — 28-65 (43.1 percent). 3-point goals (4) — Baker 2, Jordan 1, Hagedorn 1. Rebounds — 24 (Jordan 8, Allen 5, Waterhouse-Brennan 4, Billups-Campbell 1, Willis 1, Tucker 1). Assists — 8 (Jordan 2, Tucker 2, Baker 2, Billups-Campbell 1, Waterhouse-Brennan 1). Steals — 11 (Tucker 3, Jordan 2, Waterhouse-Brennan 2, Baker 2). Blocked shots — 1 (Allen 1). Turnovers — 10 (Baker 2, Willis 2, Allen 2, Tucker 1, Hagedorn 1, Jordan 1, Waterhouse-Brennan 1). Team fouls — 8. Fouled out — None.