June 15, 2025
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Spartan women power past Buena Vista JV, 82-56

Morris records another double-double

By JARED LARSON

Southwestern's Natalia Bochenek (23) and Kayley Dresback (13) of BVU battle for a loose ball Friday. Bochenek finished with six points, seven rebounds and two assists. (JARED LARSON)

After an even paced first quarter, Southwestern established a lead in the second quarter and SWCC won 82-56 Friday night against Buena Vista.

Kaylynn Tucker and Alyssa Morris paced the Spartans with 24 points each. Morris and Tucker each recorded double-doubles with their rebounding tally of 14 and 12, respectively.

Tucker also led the Spartans in steals with seven and rebounds with four.

Head coach Bryan Austin was satisfied with the team effort shown on the hardwood, even with 49 personal fouls called on both teams.

“A good grind out win, an all-around team effort,” Austin said. “The officials were calling it really tight, so we had to have some other people step up and do some things that we really didn’t want to do. Can’t be upset with that effort for sure.”

Whynter Waterhouse-Brennan finished with nine points, she was whistled for her third foul of the game just 1:48 into the second quarter.

“It hurt a little bit, but we stepped up and made some adjustments,” Austin said. “I think that’s good for us right now, especially early in the season so we can learn how to deal with that later on.”

The Spartans outscored the Beavers 22-14 in the second quarter to expand their lead to 37-24 at halftime.

Emily Newton and her BVU teammates edged SWCC 24-23 in third quarter scoring.

Diagonal native Emily Newton (41) returns to southwest Iowa for a de facto homecoming against Southwestern Community College. Newton is defending Vernae Ramoth (32). (JARED LARSON)

Newton, a junior at Buena Vista University, played four years with the Diagonal Maroonettes and is a member of the 1,000 point club at Diagonal, having scored 1,077 points over her high school career.

“It was really, really, cool to see all of my biggest fans and everybody from home here tonight,” Newton said of her return to southwest Iowa. “All my cousins, my aunts and my uncles, everybody came down to support me.”

Buena Vista trimmed SWCC’s lead to nine (41-50) with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter.

The Spartans responded with a 32-15 run over the final 15:20.

With the win, the Spartans are 2-0 with Graceland University JV looming on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

“We’ll take it,” Austin said of the win.

SWCC (82) — Alyssa Morris 7 8-11 21, Kaylynn Tucker 6 11-12 24, Vernae Ramoth 5 0-0 10, Whynter Waterhouse-Brennan 3 3-4 9, Natalia Bochenek 2 2-4 6, Lexi Robinson 1 0-0 3, Belen Bernier 0 0-1 0, Cassidy Nelson 0 0-0 0. 3-point goals (5-19) — Morris 2, Tucker 1, Smith 1, Robinson 1. Rebounds (51) — Morris 14, Tucker 12, Waterhouse-Brennan 7, Bochenek 7, Smith 3, Robinson 3, Ramoth 2, Bernier 2. Assists (9) — Tucker 4, Bochenek 2, Smith 2, Bernier 1. Steals (15) — Tucker 7, Smith 4, Bernier 1, Bochenek 1, Waterhouse-Brennan 1. Turnovers — 21.

Buena Vista JV (56) — Hannah Whitver 4 1-3 10, Lindsie Graff 3 1-1 9, Vanessa Hamlett 3 2-2 8, Vanessa Hamlett 2 1-4 6, Addison Weber 2 1-2 6, Taylor Krager 2 1-2 6, Mallory McCall 2 0-0 4, Anna Lundahl 1 0-0 2, Mya Guzinski 1 0-4 2, Emily Newton 0 1-2 1, Talaiah Bear Killer 0 0-0 0. 3-point goals (6-34) — Graff 2, Krager 1, Anhalt 1, Weber 1, Whitver 1. Rebounds (40) —Whitver 9, Anhalt 7, Dresback 5, Hamlett 3, Krager 3, Lundahl 2, McCall 2, Graff 2, Newton 2, TEAM 1. Assists (6) — Dresback 2, Lundahl 2, Guzinski 1, Weber 1. Steals (8) — Graff 3, Dresback 2, Guzinski 1, Anhalt 1, Whitver 1. Blocks (1) — Anhalt 1. Turnovers — 21.