Preview: Dodge City Women’s basketball set to face New Mexico Junior College in Elite Eight
Quarterfinal Saturday at the NJCAA Women’s basketball tournament is upon us, as the Conquistadors earned their spot with a 72-52 win over Arizona Western on Thursday. They will get a chance to avenge their first loss of the season, when they lost to New Mexico Junior College 84-66 on Nov. 8.
The Thunderbirds had a close call in the Sweet 16 but managed to get the result that they were looking for over Florida Southwestern, 62-56.
Tip-off: Saturday, March 29 at 3:30 central.
Live Audio: KSKZ/Z98
The First Meeting:
As with any basketball season there will be a few differences when these teams play from when they played in November versus in March, but ultimately you do not get to see rematches with non-conference opponents in Junior College basketball very often.
The Conquistadors got off to a fast start in November, but the Thunderbirds closed the gap to end the first quarter down just one at 17-16. Then New Mexico Junior College won the next three quarters, including outscoring Dodge City by eight in the second quarter, and nine in the fourth.
Dodge City, who averages 10.7 three-point makes per game, only made five in this game. Sophomore guard Layla-J Cameron made three, with Sophomore guard Becca Unruh making the other two. Cameron led Dodge City in scoring with 23.
New Mexico Junior College was 11-of-23 from three-point range, including a 5-of-6 second quarter.
Players to Watch:
Dodge City:
No.12 Shorna Preston, Sophomore
Coming off of a monster game where she scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and notched six steals, Preston has asserted herself as one of the more dominant players in NJCAA basketball.
No. 11 Layla-J Cameron, Sophomore
Cameron led the Conquistadors in scoring for a good portion of the season and had a double-double in the win over Arizona Western. She also contributed five assists.
No. 3 Becca Unruh, Sophomore
The Dodge City native settled right into a role coming off of the bench this season for her hometown school, shining as a three-point shooter. Shooting the three at a 36.3% clip, Unruh has been relatively quiet in the last three games, with just one make from distance in each contest. Getting a multiple-three-point-make shooting performance from Unruh could provide a huge lift for the Conquistadors
New Mexico Junior College:
No. 3 Cacia Antonio, Sophomore
Antonio leads the Thunderbirds in scoring with 14.2 points per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. She had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the Sweet 16 win.
No. 23 Amyah Sutton, Sophomore
Sutton led the Thunderbirds to the Elite Eight with her 18-point performance in the Sweet 16. She has the best shooter on the year, going 44.6% from three-point range.
No. 24 Pania Davis, Sophomore
Davis is averaging 13.3 points per game and has a pretty hefty wrap on her left hand. The wrap did not stop her from scoring 10 points and pulling down eight rebounds in the win over Florida Southwestern.
