Feb. 18, 2007

Final Stats

The Northeastern Junior College women's basketball team won the regular-season, sub-region championship with an impressive, 76-62 win over Otero. Northeastern pushed its overall record to 23-5.

A capacity crowd in Jackson-Edwards Arena on Saturday watched the Plainswomen take a 34-32 lead at halftime despite missing 11 free-throws.

NJC continued to get to the free-throw line in the second half. The Plainswomen were a much-improved 9-of-13 from the charity stripe in the second frame on their way to outscoring Otero, 42-30, down the stretch.

The winning continued for long-time Sterling High School Coach Darrel Parker. In his first season at the helm of the NJC women's team following a long and successful run with the Lady Tigers, Parker led the Plainswomen to their first sub-region championship in half a decade.

Parker said the team finished what they set out to do early in the season.

"It was one of the first goals we set. It was one of the realistc we looked at coming in," Parker said. "The kids did a good job even though we were a little over-hyped at the beginning. That's all a part of a big game. We didn't settle down until after halftime."

Parker said the Plainswomen got down to business as soon as the second session began.

"We ran five sets in a row early in the second half where we got the ball where it needed to go and got some easy baskets," Parker said. "This was a big win. We worked together and did a good job of adjusting, and we really answered the call in the second half."

Before the game, the NJC sophomores were recognized for their careers. And second-year players Daria Basova and Roni Whitman gave the home crowd a memorable curtain call.

Basova, a native of Moscow, Russia; scored twelve of her 15 points in the second half to lead all scorers in the game. Basova pulled down six rebounds and added two steals and a blocked shot.

Whitman poured in 14 points and grabbed three rebounds. The Peetz native also handed out five assists and had three steals. Whtiman was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, and she nailed 2-of-3 from three-point land.

"We came out pumped up because we hadn't won the south sub-region since 2001, so that was motivating," Whitman said. "I think the team played really well overall. We all played unselfish basketball. The sophomores played especially hard because it was our last game in front of this crowd. We played a good, full, 40-minute game that was good offensively and defensively."

Guernsey, Wyo.; freshman Jennifer Garner turned in her third straight performance scoring in double figures. She scored 12 points and added four rebounds, five assists and a steal.