TORRINGTON – Conference play heated up for the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Lady Lancers in the final week of the regular season, with the Lady Lancers falling in home games to both Casper College, 89-66, on Friday and Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC), 67-66, in a nailbiter on Saturday.

The Lady Lancers finished the regular season with an 8-4 conference record and the team hosts Laramie County Community College for the first round of the NJCAA Region IX playoffs on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Casper College

The Lady Thunderbirds came out fast in the first quarter, establishing a 25-14 lead. The Lady Lancers began to find their footing in the second quarter, netting 16 points to 17 by Casper College.

The halftime score favored Casper College, 42-30.

Both teams left it all on the court in a tight third quarter, with the Thunderbirds topping EWC in scoring by one possession, 27-25. Casper College widened its lead in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points while holding the Lady Lancers to 11.

Both Casper College and EWC shot at 33.3 percent from outside the perimeter, but the Lady Thunderbirds outperformed the Lady Lancers both in field goal percentages (50.8 percent to 45.3 percent) and at the charity stripe (76.2 percent to 50 percent).

Freshman Luna Moreno led EWC in scoring against Casper College with 16 points. Sophomore Hailey Long tallied 10 points with nine apiece by sophomores Sofia Mokofisi and Tamar Kopilevich. Freshman Ali Tripp and sophomore Emma Jimenez both netted seven points.

On the boards, freshman Tawny Rodriguez pulled down six rebounds. Moreno delivered four assists while on defense, sophomore Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia snatched four steals.

WWCC

The Lady Lancers outscored WWCC in the first quarter, 15-12, and controlled the scoreboard in the second quarter, 23-10.

The first half ended with EWC up by a significant 38-22 margin.

WWCC responded in the third quarter, tossing in 22 points to 19 by EWC. The fourth quarter commenced with the Lady Lancers ahead, 57-44.

WWCC surged ahead in the fourth quarter, topping EWC in scoring, 23-9, to not only close the deficit but overtake the Lady Lancers by a single point, 67-66, at the end of regulation.

Long dominated scoring for EWC against WWCC, posting 26 points. The sophomore netted six of eight 3-pointers. Tripp contributed nine points, Jimenez eight and Mokofisi six. 

Long led on the boards with nine rebounds. Rodriguez pulled down eight rebounds. Moreno and Long each connected three assists while both Long and Jimenez picked up two steals.