MCC Women use strong fourth quarter to down Knights, 76-66

The McCook Community College women came from six points down early in the fourth quarter and went on to beat North Platte Tuesday in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center, 76-66.

MCC out-scored the Knights 26-14 in the final 10 minutes to improve to 3-0 in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference.

"This was a good win for us," said MCC Coach Brandon Pritchett. "This is one of the best teams North Platte has had in several years. They play hard and they play together and kudos to them for giving us a really good fight tonight."

The two teams battled on mostly even terms in the first half with MCC holding a 19-18 edge after one period and the teams tied 38-38 at the half.

Pritchett said first-half turnovers and uncharacteristic struggles at the free-throw line prevented MCC from stretching the lead. MCC had 22 turnovers in the game and after making just two of seven free throws made seven of eight in the second half

"If we cut the turnovers in half then the game is different for us and you add our struggles from the free-throw line that's why we couldn't put them away early." Pritchett said. "And it was players that haven't really missed all year. Maite and Vanessa have both been great at the line all year and Vanessa came back and hit a lot of them in the second half and played well."

Sophomore Sonia Sato (El Paso, Texas) scored a season-high 23 points and led MCC with nine rebounds. Sophomore Vanessa Jurewicz (Stockholm, Sweden) went four-for-seven from the 3-point line and five-for-eight from the free-throw line for 18 points. Sophomore Carla Torrubia Cano (Melilla, Spain) hit three of six 3-pointers and scored 15 points. Maite Lara Garcia (sophomore Sant Joan Despi, Spain) scored eight points with seven rebounds.

"Vanessa shot the ball well from 3, Carla shot the ball well from 3, and I'm really proud of this group and the fight that they have," Pritchett said.

MCC shot 58 percent from the field, went nine of 19 from distance (47.4 percent) and ended up making nine of 15 three throws (60 percent). MCC won the rebound battle 32-20 but it was the 22 turnovers that was big blemish in the scoresheet.

"We have to get some things fixed, again the turnover battle for us has been our nemesis and it's just us throwing the ball in the wrong spots and nothing any of the teams are really doing to us other than us just not making the right reads," Pritchett said.

North Platte's Kayla Pope led all scorers with 25 points, Janay Braur had 15 and Fumnaya Ljeh had 13. The Knights shot 45 percent from the field, made six of 11 3-pointers (37.5 percent) and six of 11 from the line (54.4 percent).

North Platte goes to 14-7 on the season and 2-1 in the NCCAC.

The MCC women improve to 13-8 and 3-0 in the Nebraska conference.

MCC will continue conference play at home Sunday against Southeast Community College at 1 p.m.

"Hopefully we can come out one of these game where we have energy all four quarters vs. the last half or last quarter because I think this team can be really dangerous if we can put hat type of energy together for four quarters," Pritchett said.

For more photos from tonight's game, please visit the MCC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MPCCMcCook