The Northwest College women’s basketball team earned a pair of close wins in North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, defeating Bismarck State College 102-100 in overtime and United Tribes Technical College 73-67. The Trappers then returned home Tuesday night and defeated the Rocky Mountain College JV 78-39 to extend their winning streak to four games.

NORTHWEST 102, BISMARCK STATE 100 (OT)

Starting out their North Dakota trip in Bismarck the Trappers (8-4) matched up with the Mystics (8-2) and were seeking revenge for their loss a week prior.

Northwest came out strong over the first four minutes, building as much as a 15-8 lead before Bismarck responded late in the quarter.

An 11-3 run ended the first for the hosts, and they led the Trappers 25-22 heading into the second quarter.

The teams continued to exchange baskets back and forth, with the Mystics up 39-36 midway through the second quarter.

Northwest continued to remain within striking distance, and trailed 48-46 going into halftime.

In the third the Trappers continued to keep it close, exchanging the lead back and forth until Northwest pushed the lead out to six on a Carolina Ruiz 3-pointer with 3:03 left in the third.

An 11-0 run by Bismarck regained the lead, and the Mystics led by four at 70-66 heading into the final frame.

“They [Bismarck] just shoot and shoot,” coach Cody Helenbolt said. “They shot 40% from three on us last time and they don’t do that consistently. They shoot really well, but they usually don’t hit 40% so I didn’t change too much.”

Answering early in the fourth the Trappers started with a 16-4 run over the first four minutes, holding the largest lead of the game up 82-74 with 5:45 left.

Bismarck quickly responded over the next three minutes, regaining the lead up 85-84 with three minutes remaining.

The two teams exchanged the lead until the end, but a Bismarck free throw with 46 seconds left provided the final points as the two teams were knotted at 89 and the game went into overtime.

Northwest started out strong, building as much as a five point lead after a Tayva Phillips free throw with 2:25 left, up 96-91.

The Trappers held on down the stretch with free throws, earning a narrow 102-100 victory.

“It felt like a little bit of weight lifted off our shoulders,” Helenbolt said. “They’ve been working hard and they’ve been doing a lot of what I’ve been asking them to do, and I felt like they deserved to get a big win.”

Phillips led the Trappers with 33 points and six steals, Bianca Silva finished with 19 points and nine assists, Jai’La Porter earned a 16 point, 13 rebound double double, Ruiz added 12 points and Emma Pique had 10.

“When we can have a game like that where someone kind of steps up, it kind of eases the [scoring] burden on everybody,” Helenbolt said.

Kelsi Nicholson added nine rebounds.

NORTHWEST 73, UNITED TRIBES 67

On Saturday the Trappers matched up with the Thunderbirds (5-7) looking to extend their winning streak to three games.

Northwest came out strong, building a 13-8 lead midway through the first quarter.

The lead reached as many as eight in the first quarter, and the Trappers led 19-13 heading into the second.

United Tribes cut the lead down to two before Northwest re-established its lead at 29-24 with four minutes left in the half.

The Thunderbirds used a quick run to take the lead, and pushed past the Trappers with an 11-2 run and took a 35-31 lead before the Trappers answered to take a 36-35 lead into the half after an Elise Swan free throw late.

“I think the night before with the bus ride and the night before kind of took a little bit out [of us],” Helenbolt said. “It’s always hard to get up for those games.”

Neither team gained a significant advantage early in the third quarter, with the Trappers making it a two point lead at 44-42 midway
through.

Northwest made it as much as a five point lead, but led just 49-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

United Tribes tied the game in the first quarter of the fourth, but the two teams exchanged the lead back and forth throughout the final quarter as Northwest led 57-56 midway through.

Late in the game a Pique 3-pointer made it a five point lead for Northwest at 68-63, and the Trappers used late free throws to make it as many as nine before a 3-pointer at the buzzer by the Thunderbirds made it a 73-67 final.

“I was proud of the fact that they were able to get enough and pull out the win,” Helenbolt said. “They toughened up at the end and pulled out the win.”

Silva led with 16 points, Pique had 14 and Porter had 12.

Nicholson led with 10 rebounds.

NORTHWEST 78, ROCKY MOUNTAIN JV 39

Returning home on Tuesday night the Trappers matched up with the Battlin’ Bears in their third game in five days.

Early on the two teams exchanged baskets back and forth, with the Trappers leading 8-7 midway through the first.

The Trappers had the lead up to as many as eight before Rocky cut into the lead, but a late 3-pointer by Swan ended the quarter with Northwest leading 20-14.

Early in the second the Trappers made it a double-digit advantage after a Nicholson layup at 26-16 with 7:35 left in the half.

Following that layup neither team scored for nearly four minutes, and a late run by the visitors cut the lead down to 33-26 heading into the break.

Northwest burst out the gates in the second half, using a zone to increase pressure defensively and push the lead back to double digits.

“The thing that’s different about the zone that we play is it’s very active,” Helenbolt said. “It’s jumping around, sprinting from spot to spot. It’s not like a 40-year-old pick-up zone. If we don’t do those things, it defeats the purpose.”

The Trappers made it 46-26 after a Pique layup with 5:20 left.

Northwest did not quite push the lead to 30 in the third quarter, but led 58-32 heading into the fourth.

The Trappers immediately made it a 30 point game in the fourth quarter, and a Sienna Fuller 3-pointer eventually made it a 40 point lead late as Northwest cruised to a 78-39 win.

“I wasn’t really happy with the first half,” Helenbolt said. “But I was very happy with the second. I thought they came out with the right energy in the second half and did what they needed to do.”

Silva led with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists; Pique had 12 points and led with four steals and Porter added 10 points.

Taylee Carlson tied for the team lead with five rebounds.

FINAL SEMESTER ROAD TRIP

Northwest heads back out on the road for one last time this semester, going to North Dakota to take on Williston State College (8-2) at 4:30 p.m.
Friday.

“It’ll be a battle. A good challenge for us,” Helenbolt said.

The Trappers will then dip back down into Montana to take on Dawson Community College (4-9) at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

NORTHWEST 102, BISMARCK STATE 100 (OT)

Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()

Points — Tayva Phillips 33, Bianca Silva 19, Jai’La Porter 16, Carolina Ruiz 12, Emma Pique 10, Kelsi Nicholson 6, Sydnee Harris 4, Ashlyn Wight

Rebounds — Jai’La Porter 13 (5), Kelsi Nicholson 9 (3), Bianca Silva 8 (2), Emma Pique 5 (1), Tayva Phillips 5 (1), Sydnee Harris 3 (1), Taylee Carlson 2 (1), Elise Swan 1, Bella Yates 1, Carolina Ruiz 1

Assists — Bianca Silva 9, Tayva Phillips 4, Emma Pique 2, Jai’La Porter 2, Kelsi Nicholson 2, Selen Ucak 1

Steals — Tayva Phillips 6, Bianca Silva 2, Emma Pique 1, Jai’La Porter 1, Sydnee Harris 1, Bella Yates 1, Kelsi Nicholson 1, Selen Ucak 1, Carolina Ruiz 1

NORTHWEST 73, UNITED TRIBES 67

Points — Bianca Silva 16, Emma Pique 14, Jai’La Porter 12, Kelsi Nicholson 8, Tayva Phillips 6, Carolina Ruiz 5, Elise Swan 4, Bella Yates 4, Sydnee Harris 2, Taylee Carlson 2

Rebounds — Kelsi Nicholson 10 (4), Jai’La Porter 8 (3), Bianca Silva 5 (2), Emma Pique 4, Tayva Phillips 4, Elise Swan 4 (2), Sydnee Harris 2, Taylee Carlson 2 (1), Carolina Ruiz 2 (1), Ashlyn Wight 1 (1)

Assists — Bianca Silva 4, Jai’La Porter 3, Elise Swan 3, Tayva Phillips 2, Carolina Ruiz 2, Emma Pique 1, Kelsi Nicholson 1

Blocks — Sydnee Harris 1, Bianca Silva 1

NORTHWEST 78, ROCKY MOUNTAIN JV 39

Points — Bianca Silva 14, Emma Pique 12, Jai’La Porter 10, Tayva Phillips 9, Sydnee Harris 7, Elise Swan 5, Sienna Fuller 5, Carolina Ruiz 4, Taylee Carlson 3, Kelsi Nicholson 2, Bella Yates 2

Rebounds — Bianca Silva 5 (1), Taylee Carlson 5 (1), Emma Pique 4, Kelsi Nicholson 4 (1), Tayva Phillips 3, Elise Swan 3 (1), Jai’La Porter 2, Ashlyn Wight 2 (1), Selen Ucak 2, Sydnee Harris 2 (2), Sienna Fuller 1, Bella Yates 1, Carolina Ruiz 1

Assists — Bianca Silva 4, Selen Ucak 3, Emma Pique 2, Tayva Phillips 2, Kelsi Nicholson 2, Ashlyn Wight 2, Sienna Fuller 1, Carolina Ruiz 1

Steals — Emma Pique 4, Tayva Phillips 3, Bianca Silva 2, Elise Swan 2, Bella Yates 2, Jai’La Porter 1, Selen Ucak 1, Carolina Ruiz 1

Blocks — Kelsi Nicholson 1