The Snow College women's basketball team collected a pair of victories against Walla Walla Community College and Columbia Basin College at the Columbia Basin Invitational in Pasco, Washington. The Badgers earned a 75-56 victory over the Warriors followed by a 76-67 win over the Hawks.
The Badgers were coming off consecutive victories against Lamar Community College and Trinidad State College the previous weekend at the Lamar College Classic. The Badgers have now won four consecutive matches and seven of their last eight dating back to Nov. 17.
Snow College wasted no time in pouncing on the Warriors. The Badgers matched their best offensive first halves of the season scoring 40 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 57 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Defensively, the Badgers limited WWCC to just seven points in the first quarter while allowing just two made field goals throughout the entire 10-minute period. Snow College took a 40-21 lead into the halftime break.
The Badgers continued to shoot the ball well in the second half as they shot 57 percent from the field including going 2-4 from deep. Despite this, the Warriors were able to cut into the lead slightly. Snow College was able to maintain the momentum throughout the fourth quarter and claimed a 75-56 victory.
Madison Hosino led four Badgers in double figures with 17 points on 7-12 shooting.
Emily Evans narrowly missed out on a double-double as she finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Ainsley Thurber and
Maliyah Elliott each scored 11 points and grabbed a combined 11 rebounds.
Brooke Pennington filled the stat sheet with six points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
Following the victory, the Badgers earned a 76-67 victory against CBC. Things started similarly for the Badgers as they allowed the Hawks to score just seven points in the first quarter. Snow College would eventually creep out to an 11-point lead early in the second quarter before the Hawks stormed back.
CBC used an 11-2 run to cut the Badgers' lead to just two points with three minutes to go in the half. The two teams exchanged baskets from there and the Badgers took a 32-28 lead into halftime.
Snow College took control of the game in the third quarter during which they shot 53 percent from the field and made a trio of 3-pointers. They also shared the ball effectively as they dished out seven assists on nine of their made field goals in the period.
After the Hawks trimmed the lead to three midway through the third quarter, the Badgers used a 12-0 run to take a 53-38 lead. They would eventually take a 55-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
Snow College was able to maintain a double-digit lead for much of the early minutes of the fourth quarter. The Hawks were eventually able to crawl within four points with three minutes to play, but a quick 6-0 burst put the game to bed and the Badgers earned the 76-67 victory.
Thurber led the way offensively for the Badgers as she poured in 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Evans added 16 points and secured six rebounds.
Kiriana Hawaikirangi scored 16 points while Hosino put in 10 points to aid in the victory.
The Badgers will now return to Ephraim to play their first home game in over a month as they take on Yavapai College Wednesday in Ephraim. The matchup is scheduled to tip off at 5:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.
