Box Score TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (March 18, 2019) - A big first-quarter lead ultimately wasn't able to last for the Salt Lake Community College women's basketball in Monday's NJCAA Tournament opener.
Leading 18-8 after the opening period against Tyler Junior College, the Bruins thought they were rolling to a victory but instead were outscored 31-13 in the second quarter, on the way to a 66-51 loss to the Apaches. With the loss, Salt Lake finished the season at 25-6 overall.
SLCC coach
Betsy Specketer said her team faced a tough opponent in the first round and it showed in their performance.
"After the first quarter, Tyler turned up their defense and it really rattled us," she said. "I felt we played well in spurts after that but we could never get completely comfortable on the offensive end."
Salt Lake's hot start quickly faded as Tyler turned up the heat in the second quarter, shooting 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the field. It was a stark contrast from SLCC holding TJC to a shooting percentage of 14.3 percent in the first quarter. The Apaches also turned up the heat defensively, forcing 20 Bruins turnovers and scoring 20 points off giveaways.
Trailing 39-31 at halftime, SLCC was hopeful its performance in the half was merely an aberration. Instead, the performance proved to be a harbinger of things to come as Tyler outscored Salt Lake 17-11 in the third quarter to put the game away.
Lauren Gustin led Salt Lake with 10 points and 16 rebounds, finishing the season by averaging a double-double.
Miki'ala Maio scored 10 points in her final game for the Bruins.
While the opening-round loss for the second consecutive year is disappointing, Salt Lake has much to be proud of after a strong 2018-19 season. The Bruins finished the season as both the Region 18 and Scenic West Athletic Conference champions, once again advancing to the NJCAA's national showcase.
Specketer said she's encouraged by the accomplishment of her players.
"I'm proud of our group and the year that we've had," she said. "I'm especially proud of our sophomores for back-to-back SWAC and region championships."
