Two Lady Indians earn post-season hoops honors

Three McCook Community College women's basketball players received post-season Region IX awards by a vote of coaches.

Sophomore Laia Izquierdo Altimira was selected to the All-Region IX South team. Sophomore Johanna Gerlach was one of five players named to the south's All-Defensive team. Izquierdo Altimira was also selected to the Region IX All-Tournament Team.

Lamar Community College Coach Chris Dodfre was named Region IX South Coach of the Year. The Runnin' Lopes captured the regular-season championship finishing 12-2 in the standings and 20-6 overall. Lamar lost to Northwest College in the semifinals of the Region IX Tournament.

Gillette won the Region IX Tournament beating Northwest College 80-73 after taking down Western Wyoming in double-overtime 82-80 in the semi-finals. (Western Wyoming ended MCC's season in the quarterfinals with a 65-60 win).

Izquierdo Altimira, (Barcelona, Spain), started all 32 games for the Lady Indians and led MCC in scoring, 13.2 points per game. She averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The forward shot 41 percent from the field and led all Region IX south players shooting 39.8 percent from the 3-point line. She was an 83.1 percent free-throw shooter (second best in the region).

She scored at least 10 points in 21 games and scored 20 points five times with her season-high coming at Lamar on Jan. 21 when she scored 24 points. She had a season-best 12 rebounds in the opening game of the season against Eastern Wyoming. For her career, she played in 63 games, scoring 626 points, with 318 rebounds, 132 assists and 69 steals.

In being named to the all-tournament team, Izquierdo Altimira scored 12 points with four rebounds in MCC's first-round 63-62 win over Casper. She made two of five 3-pointers and both her free throws. Against Western Wyoming in the quarterfinals, she scored 18 points and went four-for-five from distance with five boards and two steals.

Johanna Gerlach (Hachborn, Germany) started 30 of 31 games for the Lady Indians and averaged 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. MCC's defensive standout also put in a season-high 22 points Jan. 24 against Southeast Community College in Lincoln. She had 39 steals on the season to go along with 265 points and 90 rebounds.

ALL REGION IX-SOUTH TEAM
Ana Zesati – Lamar Community College
Aliyah Herron – North Platte Community College
Amaya Williams – Lamar Community College
Danielle Garcia Gasco – Northeastern Junior College
Ella Chesta-Carty – Western Nebraska College
Itxasne Fernandez Arguello – Otero Junior College
Kaelani Albert-Neha – Otero Junior College
Laia Izquierdo-Altimira – McCook Community College
Makayla Lemelle – Southeast Community College
Zozefine Sipolina – Western Nebraska College

ALL DEFENSIVE-TEAM REGION IX-SOUTH
Charisma Johnson, Western Nebraska
Amaya Williams, Lamar
Daniela Garcia Gasco, Northeastern JC
Johanna Gerlach, McCook
Jasmine Gilbert, North Platte

REGION IX ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Amaya Williams – Lamar Community College
Austyn Feller – Western Wyoming Community College
Emma Pique – Northwest College
Glorielle Mukeba – Laramie County Community College
Kiyarra Williams – Gillette College
Laia Izquierdo Altimira – McCook Community College
Laura Ring – Central Wyoming College
Lina Ballin – Gillette College
Madison Bush Lewis – Eastern Wyoming College
Madison Kaufman – Northwest College
McKinlee Covolo – Northwest College
Peata Manumaleuga – Western Wyoming Community College
Rochelle Afo-Manuma – Gillette College

MVP: Rochelle Afo-Manuma – Gillette College