Pronghorns Women's Basketball Wins Home Openers in Cyclone Drilling Classic

Gillette, WY – November 17, 2023 – The Gillette College Pronghorns women's basketball team showcased their depth and teamwork this weekend in the Cyclone Drilling Classic with two solid victories in their 2024-25 home openers. The Pronghorns completed the weekend sweep with a win over Carroll College's JV squad with a final score of 94-48, followed by another strong performance against Dawson Community College, winning 77-58.

In the matchup against Carroll College, Rochelle Afo-Manuma led the Pronghorns with an impressive double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Her outstanding performance set the tone for the game, allowing the Pronghorns to dominate from the start. Marija Marinkovic contributed significantly with 17 points, while Dasani Nesbit and Abbie Nickell added 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Pronghorns' offensive execution led to efficient shooting with 19 assists on 37 field goals while going 51% from the field, 47% from the 3-pt line, and 80% from the foul line. On the defensive end, the Pronghorns forced 22 turnovers and held Carrol to shooting only 28% from the field. The tenacious defense and offensive prowess proved too much for the Carroll College JV team, leading to a decisive victory.

Continuing their momentum, the Pronghorns faced Dawson Community College and once again emerged victorious. Rochelle Afo-Manuma continued her impressive freshmen campaign, leading the charge with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Dasani Nesbit excelled on both ends of the court, contributing 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrea Marin poured in an additional 15 points, and Marija Marinkovic added 13 points to secure the win. Arna Bright showcased her leadership dishing out a game-high 8 assists while pulling down 10 rebounds. The Pronghorns struggled with ball control and tempo under Dawson's full court pressure, but persevered, highlighting their strong potential as a team this season.

"This weekend showed that we have a strong group that is capable of persevering through challenging games," stated head coach Liz Lewis.  "I am proud of the team's effort and coachability. We have a lot to learn but are hungry to improve and will continue to grow with every opportunity. We are seeing all around contributions from our athletes and great team effort which makes for exciting basketball."

The two wins move the Pronghorns to 5-0 on the season and they will look to carry their winning momentum into their next home games against Colorado Northwestern Community College and United Tribes scheduled for November 22 at 5:30 PM and November 23 at 2:00 PM. The upcoming tournament games are sponsored by White's Energy Motors and White's Frontier Motors.

Complete Tournament Schedule for the Women

Friday, November 22

1:30 PM- United Tribes vs. Laramie County Community College-WBB

3:30 PM- Neutral Games- MBB

5:30 PM- Pronghorns vs. Colorado Northwestern Community College-WBB

7:30 PM- Pronghorns vs. Rocky Mountain JV- MBB

Saturday, November 23

10:00 AM- Colorado Northwestern Community College vs. Laramie County Community College- WBB

12:00 PM- Neutral Games- MBB

2:00 PM Pronghorns vs. United Tribes- WBB

4:00 PM Pronghorns vs. United Tribes- MBB