Lady Tigers’ resurgence continues with 81-62 win over Independence

Forcing Independence Community College into 38 turnovers and holding the Lady Pirates to 30 percent shooting, the Cowley College women's basketball team won for the fifth time in its last six outings by defeating Independence 81-62 Wednesday inside W.S. Scott Auditorium.

Cowley is now 7-4 overall and 5-4 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, while the Lady Pirates fall to 9-3 overall and 7-3 in the conference.

"Independence has a really good team, so we were really happy with the win," Cowley head coach Todd Clark said. "We really got after them defensively and had a lot of players contribute to the victory."

Trailing 21-17 at the end of the first quarter, Cowley used a 17-2 second quarter run to lead 37-28 at the end of the first half.

Cowley carried that momentum into the second half as freshman Baylee Fincher went 5-for-5 from the floor and scored 15 of her season-high 22 points in the third quarter. Cowley out-scored Independence 23-8 in the quarter and took a commanding 60-36 lead heading into the final quarter of play.

"That was probably Baylee's best game of the year and yet I thought she was still a little too unselfish," Clark said.

Cowley went 15-of-40 from the three-point line, while Independence made only 3-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers also out-scored Independence 31-11 on points off turnovers as freshman Shamara Henderson had seven of Cowley's 21 steals.

"Shamara was really into it and played well," Clark said.

The Lady Tigers also got solid inside play from freshman Martyna Kowalska, who finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Rapaluchi Ngorka was the lone Lady Pirate to score in double figures as she finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds.

Cowley will look to continue rolling when they play at Neosho Community College Saturday at 2 p.m. in Chanute, KS. The Lady Panthers are 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

"We have taken some really good teams into Neosho and lost, so it never seems to matter what their record is," Clark said.

Box score:

Independence (62): Eriel West 1-12 0-0 2, Miriam Bazylewicz 2-4 0-0 4, Delani Harris 2-5 2-4 6, Rapaluchi Ngorka 6-11 4-6 16, Maisa Marcal 3-10 1-2 8, Mira Khan 1-1 2-2 4, Azahara Lopez 1-6 2-2 5, Kaitlynn Rasmussen 1-4 0-0 2, Jasmine Elder 3-10 2-4 8, Destiny Cartwright 1-2 2-2 4, Maddie Curtis 0-3 0-2 0, Laurie Cren 1-4 0-0 3, Edna Langa 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-72 15-24 62.

Cowley (81): Baylee Fincher 7-9 3-4 22, Jayden Marlnee 1-1 0-0 2, Seanna Boltz 5-18 0-0 14, Kalyne Daniels 1-3 0-0 2, Martyna Kowalska 6-13 0-2 12, Milena Fromming 2-7 0-0 6, Ryley Beard 4-11 1-2 12, Shamara Henderson 3-10 0-0 7, Brittney Byers 1-1 0-0 2, Torri Vang 0-1 0-0 0, Julia Michalik 0-2 0-0 0, Karolina Juresiute 0-2 0-0 0, Lucy Lally 1-3 0-0 2, Teagan Brouwer 0-0 0-0 0, Juliet Spangler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 31-81 4-8 81.

Three-pointers: Independence 3-21 (Marcal 1-3, Cren 1-3, Lopez 1-2, West 0-7, Curtis 0-3, Rasmussen 0-1, Cartwright 0-1, Harris 0-1), Cowley 15-40 (Fincher 5-6, Boltz 4-16, Beard 3-8, Fromming 2-2, Henderson 1-3, Lally 0-2, Michalik 0-2, Vang 0-1). Rebounds: Independence 61 (Ngorka 20), Cowley 45 (Kowalska 15). Assists: Independence 6 (six players with 1), Cowley 23 (Fromming 5). Turnovers: Independence 38, Cowley 25. Total fouls: Independence 10, Cowley 22. Fouled out: Brouwer. Technicals: none.