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MCC's league champs return plenty of hoops talent
McCOOK, Neb. — A core group of eight sophomores will lead the McCook Community College women’s basketball team into 2021 and look to improve on a 22-10 record when the season begins this weekend with a pair of games in Wyoming.
In his first year leading the Indians, coach Brandon Pritchett was named the 2020 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference’s Coach of the Year as MCC claimed the conference championship, went 21-9 during the regular season, hosted and won a first-round tournament game over Lamar 66-38, before losing to 15th ranked Casper College in the second round.
Pritchett’s second season will be an abbreviated one, starting with road games at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo. Friday, at Eastern Wyoming (Torrington) Saturday, then six games at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center between Jan. 29 and Feb. 16.
“I love how we finished the fall semester. Defensively we really attacked and really applied pressure, forced turnovers and shot the ball well,” Pritchett said. “If we can shoot the ball well and space the ball well and guard half-court, I think we can be a successful team.”
The team returns six sophomores, four of which were starters and key contributors off the bench, and they also add a pair of sophomore transfer to the mix.
“We’ve got eight sophomores so that’s a pretty good experience-level returning from a team that had the season we did last year, and they are solid group leadership-wise as well,” Pritchett said.
Point guard Amiya Dartest (5-3, Jennings, La.) scored 320 points for the Lady Indians in 32 games. She averaged 10.2 points per game and led the team with 60 3-pointers on the year.
“The point-guard position for us is key and it’s nice for us to have somebody returning who understands what we’re trying to do and she can shoot the ball when we need her to,” Pritchett said.
Gail Whiting (5-9 Montgomery, Ala.) became a primary contributor off the bench as a freshman. She averaged 11 points per game and 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. She was a 52.2 percent shooter from the field and grabbed 169 rebounds on the season including 94 on the offensive end. In addition she had 66 steals.
“When she was on the court, she was efficient and really rebounded the ball and led our team in offensive rebounds,” Pritchett said.
Jessika Espinoza (6-0 guard, El Paso, Texas) returns for a second year at MCC after spending a year at Western New Mexico where she was injured.
“Coming off her first full season after being injured, she brings us a lot of experience at the guard spot,” Pritchett said. Espinoza played in all 32 games for the Lady Indians, averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
As a freshman, Carla Torrubia Cano (Melilla, Spain) was named to the All- Region IX South Team, the First-Team All-Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference and second-team honors for the Omaha World-Herald’s All-Midlands college team.
“She brings a lot of experience and was our second-leading scorer last year,” Pritchett said.
The 5-11 forward played in all 32 MCC games, starting 26 and averaging 11.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
From the 3-point line she made 39 of 91 attempts, (42.9 percent) which was 11th best in the nation.
“Having those four with a lot of experience returning and then you add Kelly Snelling and Destiny Davis, I like our depth,” Pritchett said.
Snelling, a 5-5 guard from Gering High School, played in 22 games as a freshman, scoring 51 points and providing a glimpse of her talents in a 15-point performance last January against the Doane JV team.
rThe coach was expecting a lot out of sophomore Destiny Davis (5-6 guard, Oklahoma City) a season ago, but an injury prevented her from getting on the floor.
As a freshman in 2018-2019, she appeared in 28 games, averaging 4.2 points.
“She’s back full-strength now I’m super-excited about having her available, She’s a tough defender and competitor,” Pritchett said.
Estrella Avalos, a 6-1 guard-forward, from Las Cruces, N.M., joins the squad after spending last season at Colby Community College. She appeared in 29 games, starting 10.
“She brings really good experience at the forward position for us, coming from Colby where she played a lot of minutes,” Pritchett said.