Women’s Basketball Starts 1-1

The Dana College women’s basketball team opened its season with a 1-1 mark.  The Vikings started their season off on the right foot with an 81-66 home win over York College.  Dana then lost a tough 72-61 match-up on the road against William Penn University on Saturday afternoon.

Amy Nichol (SR, Des Moines, Iowa) picked up where she left off last season by grabbing a missed shot and putting in for two points to start the game Nov. 1. 

The Vikings trailed only once in the entire game.  York took a one-point lead with 18:26 to go in the first half, but it would be short lived.  Nichol grabbed another rebound and put it back in for two.  This was the last time Dana would be behind for the entire contest. 

Dana opened up a double-digit lead when Tricia Trotter (SO, Treynor, Iowa) drained a three-pointer from a Kayla Hofstetter (SO, Lawrence, Neb.) pass.  Hofstetter then pulled down a defensive rebound and triggered a Viking fast break.  Heidi Gowery (SO, St. Helena, Neb.) knocked down another three pointer to extend the Viking lead.  Dana went into halftime with a 37-26 lead. 

The Vikings came out firing in the second half as they stretched their lead to 17 points.  Megan Finn (FR, Omaha, Neb.) sliced through the Panther defense and made an easy lay-up.  Jillian Bryant (SO, McCook, Neb.) continued the Viking onslaught, as she took a Trotter pass and made a lay-up.  Erin Bazata (JR, Randolph, Neb.) put Dana up by 18 as she connected on two consecutive baskets.  Megan Parker (JR, Sloan, Iowa) gave Dana its final margin of victory as she knocked down a 15-foot jumper off an assist from Denisa Larreau (FR, Arnold, Neb.).

Nichol led the Vikings with 18 points, ten rebounds, and seven steals. Bazata scored 16 points on six of eight shooting. Trotter added 13 points and four assists. Finn scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.

“This was a great opener for us,” said Head Coach Brenda Mechels.  “Amy Nichol and Erin Bazata played well.  We defended well as a team.”

Dana traveled to Oskaloosa, Iowa, on Saturday to take on William Penn University.  Cold shooting in the game sealed the Vikings’ fate.  Dana shot only 13 percent in the first half and 28 percent for the game.

William Penn took advantage of the Viking shooting woes and stretched their lead to as many as 18 points midway through the first half. William Penn took a 36-18 lead into the half.

Nichol came out and scored the first seven points of the second half as the Viking whittled the lead down to 13 points.  A pair of Finn free throws and a lay-up from Bazata brought Dana within six points with 13 minutes left to go in the game. Bryant brought the Vikings to within five as she was fouled making a lay-up.  Dana was forced to foul late in the game in an attempt to get closer, but William Penn made all of its free throws.  Dana succumbed to the Statemen 72-61.

“In the second half, we shot the ball better and defense got us right back into the game,” said Mechels.  “We did the things we wanted to do defensively in the second half.  We played hard, but needed to shoot better the first half.  We need to improve on the glass, as they outrebounded us and to be successful in the GPAC that can’t happen.”

Nichol had a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Trotter contributed 17 points before fouling out.  The Vikings saw a total of three players foul out in the loss. Bryant added eight points and two steals.

The Vikings are off until Friday when they travel to Mid-America Nazarene for a tournament.  Dana will play Sterling College on Friday at 3 p.m. and then Tabor College on Saturday at 1 p.m.

For More Information, please contact:

Shad Beam, Sports Information Director, 402-426-7389 or sbeam@dana.edu