The Eastern Wyoming College Lady Lancers closed out their season battling Otero College in the second round of the NJCAA Region IX Tournament in Casper on Thursday.
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CASPER – The 2023-2024 college basketball season came to end for the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Lady Lancers following a 70-48 loss to Otero College in the second round of the NJCAA Region IX Tournament in Casper on March 14.
A point-for-point battle in the first quarter ended with Otero up by a single possession, 13-10. The game tied, 4-4, following an early scoring run for EWC by sophomore Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia and freshman Ali Tripp.
Otero College drained a 3-pointer. Sophomore Hailey Long found an opening in Otero’s perimeter to score, turning it into a one-point game with the Lady Rattlers ahead, 7-6.
Otero College edged up, 13-6, before EWC responded with jumpers by sophomore Tamar Kopilevich and freshman Luna Moreno.
The Lady Rattlers steadily widened their advantage in the second quarter, particularly from outside the perimeter, netting 24 points to 14 from the Lady Lancers. The halftime scoreboard favored Otero College, 37-25.
Kopilevich kept the Lady Lancers on the scoreboard in the second quarter, draining a 3-pointer. Long and Moreno tossed in points from the charity stripe and Ciordia netted a pair of layups.
The Lady Lancers fought to close the deficit in the third quarter. The EWC defense stepped up the pressure midway into the quarter as Long and Tripp both pulled down rebounds and Long and Ciordia each snatched a steal.
Ciordia drained a 3-pointer, narrowing Otero’s lead to 10 points, 44-34. A jumper from Kopilevich made it a 10-point game again, 48-38, before Otero posted a seven-point run to widen its advantage, 55-38, as the fourth quarter commenced.
The Lady Rattlers outscored the Lady Lancers, 15-10, in the final eight minutes of regulation. Sophomore Emma Jimenez kept Otero on its feet with two steals. Long tossed in four points, freshman Nikolina Vukcevic sank a close-range shot and Ciordia scored on a fastbreak.
Ciordia led EWC in scoring against Otero College with 14 points. Long contributed 10 points, Kopilevich nine, Moreno seven, sophomore Sofia Mokofisi four with two apiece from Tripp and Vukcevic.
On the boards, Tripp pulled down seven rebounds while Long and Mokofisi each made six rebounds.
