By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
March 21, 2004
SALINA, Kan. The East Central Community College Lady Warriors picked a bad time for a cold shooting performance.
Playing in the seventh-place game in the NJCAA Division I Women's National Championship, the Lady Warriors shot just 28.8 percent from the floor and 40 percent from the free-throw line Saturday in losing 58-48 to the College of Southern Idaho.
ECCC finished 31-4 and placed eighth in the country for Region 23's best showing of the 2000s. The 31 wins are a school record. Saturday's 48 points are a season low.
The Lady Warriors made just 19-of-66 field goal tries and were 4-of-10 at the free-throw line. CSI held a 46-39 advantage on the boards and shot 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the floor and 90 percent (9-of-10) from the line.
Southern Idaho's Meliame Halaufia scored the game's first four points and the Lady Warriors chased the Golden Eagles the rest of the afternoon.
CSI, 29-7, held a 10-3 advantage five minutes into the game.
ECCC closed to within 10-8 on a 3-pointer from Kim Cox with 14:44 to go in the half and a driving layup by Cox 71 seconds later.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Kotreece Bender brought ECCC to within 17-16 with 9:18 left in the half.
A trey from Ashley Alley and a pair of close-range shots from Halaufia put the Golden Eagles up 28-20 with just under four minutes showing.
CSI took a 31-27 lead into the break.
The Golden Eagles scored the first four points of the second half to take an eight-point lead.
CSI went up 45-34 on a 3-pointer from Zimova with 9:07 left in the game.
ECCC closed to within 45-38 on a basket from Rita Birden and a steal and layup by Cox with 7:49 to go.
The Golden Eagles pulled out to their biggest lead of the game at 52-34 on a 3-pointer from Andrea Sivakova of Slovakia with 3:51 showing. ECCC went scoreless for four minutes, 46 seconds until Bender made a free throw with 3:03 left.
Bender's shot sparked a 10-0 ECCC run that pulled the Lady Warriors to within 52-48 with 45 seconds still remaining. During the Lady Warrior run, Kimyatta Viverette scored two baskets, the first of which came after she battled for a pair of offensive boards. Bender closed the run with a 3-pointer from just left of the top of the key.
CSI made all six of its free throws over the final 44 seconds to seal the win.
Bender led ECCC with 10 points and five rebounds. Cox had nine points and three steals. Lenore Gray had seven points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Viverette had four points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Kristin Chaney had five points, three rebounds, three assists.
Sidney Orndorff led CSI with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Halaufia had 12 points, while Zimova had 11 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.