Mental lapses were the ultimate factor in the Odessa College women’s basketball team’s 79-77 overtime loss to Western Texas College Friday at the OC Sports Center.
Mistakes led to turnovers at pivotal points in the game, including the final play of overtime where the Lady Wranglers couldn’t get a final shot off to tie the score in Western Junior College Athletic Conference play.
“I keep telling them, ‘You’ve got to rise to the occasion and you’ve got to be locked in,’” Odessa College coach Franqua Bedell said. “I think some nights, I just don’t know where we’re at.
“I think they feel like the game is over sometimes.”
Odessa College looked comfortable in the game’s early minutes when its players connected on 50% of their shots and led by three points at the end of the first quarter.
Shalance Montoya and Maya Crimes then helped the Lady Westerners establish the presence down low, combining for 14 of the 24 points Western Texas scored in the second quarter.
To counter the grinding game plan of the visitors, Odessa College needed to pick up the pace on both ends of the floor.
The Lady Wranglers looked like they found a second wind as the clock wound down in the third period.
“When we sped them up, it changed the whole momentum and pace of the game,” Bedell said. “We were able to play the way we needed to play and get the things we needed to get.”
A 5-0 scoring run saw Odessa College cut the deficit to four points going into the final period of regulation.
Isamery Agramonte started the fourth quarter by making a contested 3-pointer and Nahawa Diarra Berthe followed it with a layup to give the Lady Wranglers their first lead since the end of the first quarter.
Odessa College led for most of the final period, until a late push from the Lady Westerners helped them tie it up.
Keyawni Hall stole the ball with 10 seconds left and Montoya scored a layup while being fouled to get a chance for a 3-point play.
She missed the free throw and the game was tied at 72-72 to go into overtime.
The Lady Westerners outscored Odessa College 7-5 in the extra period, securing the victory after the clock ran out of the Lady Wranglers’ last possession.
Odessa College couldn’t string together a second consecutive win after defeating Clarendon College 87-80 Monday.
Bedell said he has told his players over the season that they have to play the game at a quicker pace if they want to have a chance against more physical opponents.
He felt that the way the Lady Westerners schemed their game plan around Montoya’s inside presence eventually came back to affect his team.
Bedell plans on maintaining his fast-paced offensive system, despite only having eight players available on game days.
“We’re still going to play that way regardless of our numbers, that’s who we are and that’s what we’re going to be,” Bedell said. “We’re going to go down with the ship playing the way we want to play.”
Odessa College (6-16 overall, 3-7 conference) will face Midland College on the road at 5:45 p.m. Feb. 14 in Midland.
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Western Texas College 79, Odessa College 77 (OT)
WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE (11-11, 5-5 WJCAC)
Jordyn Maddix 1-7 1-2 4, Osen Ellis 2-4 0-0 5, Maya Crimes 6-16 1-2 13, Parehuia Delamere 7-13 2-3 17, Shalance Montoya 16-24 8-12 40, Maria Ghaleb 0-0 0-0 0, Keyawni Hall 0-2 0-0 0, Curenity Emerson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-66 12-19 79.
ODESSA COLLEGE (6-16, 3-7)
Nahawa Diarra Berthe 6-9 1-2 13, Lala Niankan 7-22 3-3 17, Taya Davis 6-19 1-2 14, Marchelle Bowden 4-13 0-0 9, Isamery Agramonte 7-11 3-3 21, Stephanie Hubard 0-0 0-0 0, Drea Betts 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 31-79 8-10 77.
Western Texas……. 18.. 24 14 16 7 — 79
Odessa College…… 21.. 11 20 20 5 — 77
3-Point goals — Western Texas College 3-14 (Maddix 1-5, Ellis 1-2, Crimes 0-1, Delamere 1-4, Montoya 0-1, Hall 0-1), Odessa College 7-22 (Niankan 0-4, Davis 1-3, Bowden 1-4, Agramonte 4-7, Betts 1-4). Total fouls — Western Texas College 12, Odessa College 15. Fouled out — Odessa College (Bowden). Technical fouls — None. Rebounds — Western Texas College 42 (Montoya 16), Odessa College 33 (Niankan 10). Assists — Western Texas College 16 (Delamere 8), Odessa College 13 (Davis 9).
