NIC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Big second half sends Cardinals past Western Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo. — North Idaho College shot 15 of 27 in the second half to beat the Western Wyoming Mustangs 71-62 in the Casper Thanksgiving Shootout on Saturday at Casper College. 

“Western Wyoming does a good job of switching its defenses,” said NIC coach Nathan Covill, whose team trailed 38-34 at halftime. “We were playing a lot of one-on-one ball and weren’t really playing together. We started moving the ball in the second half and playing for each other a little more.” 

Sophomore Kylani Rookstool scored 18 points, Emmalee Secrest 13 points, Iratxe Amorrortu 12 points and freshman Summer Faleafa 11 points for NIC, which finished with 15 assists on 26 field goals. 

“We’ve still got 12 new players and they’re still learning how to play with each other,” Covill said. “Credit to the ladies on the floor and the bench for figuring it out and getting it done.” 

NIC (4-4) hosts South Puget Sound on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Austyn Feller scored 19 points for Western Wyoming (3-4). 

NORTH IDAHO 

Chloe Collin 3-6 3-4 9, Kylani Rookstool 6-11 3-4 18, Emmalee Secrest 5-9 2-2 13, Iratxe Amorrortu 5-7 0-0 12, Summer Faleafa 4-9 2-2 11, Tiarnee Smith 3-6 0-0 6, Larkin Christiansen 1-1 0-0 2, Esmeralda Galindo 0-1 0-0 0, Ripeka Edwards 0-2 0-0 0, Molly Axell 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 27-55 10-12 71. 

WESTERN WYOMING 

Kiana Manuel 4-5 0-0 8, Aliyah Bantolina 4-9 0-1 9, Sierra Eddie 0-7 0-0 0, Kayla Thornton 5-15 0-0 11, Austyn Feller 9-13 1-1 19, Ana-Isabel Anderson 3-10 1-1 9, Emma Patik 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa Beckford 0-0 0-0 0, Kaylee Hess 1-8 2-2 4, Jordyn Luna 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 27-69 4-5 62. 

North Idaho        19    15    20    17    —    71 

Western Wyoming    16    22    15    9    —    62 

3-point goals — NIC 7-18 (Collin 0-1, Rookstool 3-4, Secrest 1-2, Amorrortu 2-3, Faleafa 1-4, Edwards 0-1, Axell 0-3), WWCC 4-16 (Bantolina 1-2, Eddie 0-5, Thornton 1-3, Anderson 2-3, Hess 0-3). Rebounds — NIC 31 (Collin 9), WWCC 30 (Anderson 7). Assists — NIC 15 (Collin 7), WWCC 12 (Bantolina 4). Team fouls — NIC 9, WWCC 9. Fouled out — none.