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The Northwest College basketball teams have continued to struggle through conference play.
On senior night Feb. 12, the Trapper men (9-18, 1-11) fell 93-84 to Central Wyoming in a back-and-forth game featuring 12 lead changes.
Kyle Brown led Northwest with 25 points and four rebounds while Max Dehon chipped in 16 points and 5 rebounds.
After a slow start the Trappers took a 16-11 lead at 13:00 in the first half, but the Rustlers quickly responded.
It wasn’t until two Brown free throws at 4:09 that Northwest took the lead for the remainder of the half, taking a 40-38 lead into the locker room.
The Trappers started the second half hot, scoring five unanswered points, but the Rustlers clawed back and took the lead with 12:12 remaining.
The teams exchanged buckets on the next few possessions before Northwest took their last lead at 9:50 on a Brown layup.
From there, Central Wyoming took the driver’s seat, going on a 17-5 run over the next 3:50.
Although the Trappers shot 52% from the field in the second half it wasn’t enough as the Rustlers shot a scorching hot 70% from 3-point range in the second.
On Saturday, Northwest fell 122-70 to Casper College.
Jerome Mabry had 17 points for the Trappers in the loss.
Northwest had no answer on defense for the Thunderbirds, who shot 60% for the game and took a 34-point lead at halftime. Casper finished with six players in double figures.
The Northwest women’s basketball team also dropped two contests last week.
Northwest (11-17, 2-7) lost 71-64 to Central Wyoming despite leading most of the way. It was a big Rustler run early in the third quarter that spelled the Lady Trapper’s demise.
Lily Henry finished with a double-double for NWC scoring 14 points and hauling down 11 rebounds, while Samiyah Worrell had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
The Lady Trappers jumped out to a hot start and pushed their lead to as much as 11 in the first half. At the end of two quarters, Northwest held a 31-25 lead.
Early in second half, Henry got a feed down low to push the lead to 39-32, but it was then NWC went cold, allowing a 17-2 CWC run.
Although the Lady Trappers pulled within three twice in the fourth they would come no closer.
A Worrell 3-point play with 36.1 seconds left did make it 68-64, but NWC would score no more.
Despite winning the rebound and turnover battle the Lady Trappers allowed the Lady Rustlers to shoot 56% from the field in the second half and an equally as damaging 44% from beyond the arc.
On Saturday, NWC fell 75-42 to No. 16 Casper College.
Worrell was the only player in double-figures for Northwest, notching 13 points and three rebounds.
Despite holding the Thunderbirds to only 26% percent shooting from three, NWC could not capitalize on its own offensive end, shooting 24% and only making three 3-point shots in the game.
NWC will finish out the regular season on the road this week with games against Sheridan College and Western Wyoming.