Sports
Ladyjacks earn sweep of Mon-Dak rivals
Matthew Semisch
01/20/2015
There was major cause for concern in the Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) women’s basketball camp not long ago.
The Ladyjacks dropped a 103-84 decision at home to Bismarck State on Jan. 9 in both teams’ first Mon-Dak Conference game of the season. The Mystics easily handled a DCB team that only had six available players.
That wasn’t a good sign ahead of DCB’s games last week against United Tribes and Williston State. However, the Ladyjacks bounced back and won both games.
DCB started its week last Monday in Bismarck against United Tribes, and the Ladyjacks came away from the state capital with a 81-54 victory. DCB guard Chelsea Frazier and forward Mattie Schmitt led the visitors with 26 and 22 points, respectively.
The Ladyjacks found themselves up 40-16 at halftime against United Tribes. DCB head coach Wayne Johnson felt that that first-half barrage was the difference.
“It was not a sharp game for us on either end of the court, but a game in which we played well enough to maintain control,” Johnson said. “We got off to a big lead in the first half and that was pretty much the game.
“(United Tribes) battled back in the second half but the lead was too large to overcome.”
Up next for the Ladyjacks after the trip to Bismarck was a home game on Thursday against Williston State. The Tetons, like Bismarck State, are a NJCAA Division I program, and Division II DCB was keen to knock the Tetons off.
Early on, things were looking very promising for the Ladyjacks on that front. A Chelsea Frazier buzzer-beater from just outside of the paint saw DCB take a 38-28 halftime lead against the Tetons.
The Ladyjacks then held court for the first 10 minutes of the second half and found themselves ahead 57-45 with 11:30 left to play. Williston called a timeout at that point, though, and regrouped, roared back and took a 67-65 lead with four minutes left.
DCB needed to dig deep if it was going to win the game, and the Ladyjacks did both. They limited Williston to only five points over the final four minutes of the game while DCB’s offense heated itself back up.
In the game’s final minute, Ladyjacks sophomore guard Zirahuen Hernandez made herself a hero. She drilled a long three-pointer with 54 seconds left to put DCB back in the lead at 74-72.
Moments later, after Williston failed to capitalize on a pair of free throws, Hernandez hit two of her own at the other end of the court to ice a 76-72 victory for the Ladyjacks.
“When I think about having to shoot the ball like that in that situation,” Hernandez said after the game, “I just remember to look at the back of the rim, and I’ve been thinking that ever since seventh grade. It’s just automatic now.
“I’ve been in that situation before and just thought to myself, ‘Relax, we need this,’ so I just kept confidence in myself and did what was needed.”
Johnson spoke highly of his largely unheralded guard. Fellow sophomore guards Frazier and Imani Scott are most often DCB’s biggest focal points, but Johnson was confident that Hernandez would be able to step up when called upon.
“She can shoot the ball and she’s got the kind of attitude that she’s not going to let herself get down if shots aren’t going down for her,” Johnson said. “She’s just got ice water in her veins and she took a chance on that three and nailed it, and then the free throws after that were big, too.”
The Ladyjacks (14-4) were in action on the road at Dawson Community College (Mont.) on Monday after press time. They will host North Dakota State College of Science on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Fort Berthold on Saturday at 2 p.m.
After that, DCB will visit Lake Region State on Monday.