Six sophomores were recognized prior to the final game of the 2024-2025 season for the CWC women’s basketball team this past Saturday afternoon against Gillette College. Natalia Ballin, Tiffany Tervort, Esperanza Vergara, Maren Baker, Katie Walker, and Rea Ukaj made up a group of second-year student-athletes who collectively started a whopping 189 games over their two year playing careers at Central Wyoming College.
The Rustlers tried to harness every bit of their experience-laden roster to help them take down the 21-9 (7-4) Gillette College Pronghorns and end their season on a high note. Both teams failed to muster any offense from behind the three point line, and thus transformed the game into a physical match within the key. The Pronghorn’s presence inside the paint allowed them to beat CWC on the offensive glass (11-3), and get to the charity stripe at a lopsided rate, attempting 32 total free throws compared to the Rustler’s seven. The free throws and personal fouls were a driving force in what would’ve otherwise been a neck and neck race to the finish. Ballin, Vergara and Laura Ring all scored in the double figures, but was not enough to slow down the Gillette College on their way to a 77-60 win.
Men’s Basketball
The Rustlers possessed the opportunity to make a last second jump from the sixth seed in the Region IX play-in round of the tournament to the fifth seed, but they had to first complete the daunting task of taking down number one seed Gillette College, who had only lost two games all year, and were ranked 21st in the nation across all NJCAA division one men’s basketball teams.
The Rustlers dominated in the first half, and boasted a 15 point lead by halftime. Julian Ormond and Isaac Patik already had 12 points each by the break, and the Rustlers were scorching hot from three point range, converting on 47.1% of their attempts in the first 20 minutes. Central Wyoming led by as much as 19 at one point, but the Pronghorns slowly began chipping away at their lead. Halfway through the second half, Gillette brought the score within three points, and after that mark the Rustlers were never able to regain a double digit lead again for the rest of the game.
Nine more points in the second half from both Patik and Hunter Trego sealed the deal and rattled the conference standings by sending home Gillette with only their second conference loss all season. Patik led the Rustlers in scoring with 21 total points, and CWC bested the Pronghorns, 77-69.
The Rustlers play next on Saturday, March 8 against number 4 seed Northwest College in Powell in the play-in round of the Region IX men’s basketball tournament.
On the Schedule this Week:
- Men’s Basketball
- Saturday, Mar. 8th– Region IX Tournament Play-in Game @ Northwest College @ 4pm