NWAACC Game 1: vs Centralia
Looking to bring home their first championship since 2000, the Umpqua Community College women’s basketball team left little doubt about their readiness following a 38 point blow-out of the Centralia Trailblazers in a final 88-50 score.
Umpqua guard Kyndal Charleston scorched the Blazers (14-13, 10-6) with 17 first-half points, while forward Leilani Morris took over the second-half dropping 18 of her game-high 20 points.
With three minutes into the contest, freshman Ashli Payne’s lay-in gave the Riverhawks (22-6, 10-2) their first lead of the ballgame. UCC would not look back. Charleston and Payne’s back-to-back 3-pointers with 5:25 to play pushed Umpqua’s lead to 31-18.
With 40 seconds remaining in the half, Charleston’s fourth trey capped a 16-2 run giving Umpqua a 44-27 advantage.
“We kept our intensity up throughout the whole game,” guard Hannah Hawkins said.
Freshman Kayla Bice opened up the second-half converting on a 3-point play, followed by a Charleston lay-up that pushed their lead to 59-36. It was the closest Centralia would come to catching the Riverhawks.
“We didn’t think they could stop everything. We knew they would have to pick their poison. In the first-half they tried to stop us on the inside, leaving Kyndal open. In the second-half they played more man-to-man, allowing Leilani to score. They played two different defenses, so we scored two different ways,” coach Dave Stricklin said.
In addition to lighting up the scoreboard, the Riverhawks did a number on the boards as well. Umpqua out-rebounded Centralia 60-37. “Rebounding and taking care of the basketball was the difference in the game,” sophomore Rachel Sample stated.
Morris finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Charleston added 19 points. Payne recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists.