T-Bird (WBB) End 2024-25 Season in the National Quarterfinals
The Thunderbirds closed the 2024-25 season with a 58-41 loss to Dodge City CC in the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Quarterfinal on Saturday, March 29.
The T-Birds produced a strong first quarter with NMJC hitting two 3-pointers and knocking down three more shots from inside the arc. Amyah Sutton scored seven of the team's 15 points in the first frame.
The pivotal moment in the game came early when Emma Najjuma was whistled for two fouls in four seconds halfway through the first and Pania Davis picked up her second foul with a minute left in the quarter. This left the T-Birds to look deep into the bench for a post player as they called on Bright Eze to step up. NMJC ended the quarter in front 15-10.
The second quarter was a struggle with both Najjuma and Davis sitting out the entire period due to foul trouble.
"We made shots in the first quarter and got stops. We hit enough shots to get us a good lead and got comfortable and then foul trouble took over," NMJC women's basketball head coach Austin Mefford said.
"The foul trouble took us out of our rhythm," Mefford said. "Bright stepped up and did a tremendous job in the minutes she came in, but we just didn't have the same flow on offense and didn't have that threat offensively of Pania in there that just spreads it out and helps the rest of our team be able to create and get easy shots. We were lacking that tonight and it was just a matter of when they went zone, we struggled to get some open looks and then struggled to hit shots."
NMJC was held scoreless the first 2:30 of the second and trailed 16-15. A jumper by Cacia Antonio and Sutton put the T-Birds in front 19-16 with 6:36 to go in the half.
NMJC failed to score a point the next six minutes before Sutton's layup broke the scoreless streak. However, in the process Dodge City had managed to take a four-point lead, 25-21, going into the half. NMJC shot 3-for-14 from the field in the second quarter.
Dodge City opened the second half with an 8-0 run to bring their lead to double digits at 33-21 with 6:11 left in the third.
Jada Graves and Fatime Seck stopped the bleeding with two 3-pointers to make the score 33-27 Dodge at the 3:22 mark in the quarter. Cacia Antonio hit a baseline jumper to pull NMJC within five points, 34-29, with 3:00 minutes remaining in the third.
A three-point play by Dodge City's Layla Cameron stole the T-Bird momentum as the Conqs ended the quarter on a 9-3 run to hold a 43-32 lead after three quarters of play.
NMJC shot 23.5% from the field in the fourth quarter including 0-7 from beyond the arc. Dodge controlled the pace of play the entire fourth quarter and extended their lead going on to win by 17 points, 58-41.
Sophomore forward Amyah Sutton scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. Freshman Jada Graves finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Sophomore forward Pania Davis ended the afternoon with four rebounds while sophomore guard Cacia Antonio added seven points. Fatime Seck was the only T-Bird off the bench to score as she finished the game with five points.
NMJC shot 16-for-63 (25.4%) from the field, 4-of-25 (16%) from the 3-point line, and 5-of-11 (45.5%) from the charity stripe. The Thunderbirds held the Conqs to 31.3% from the field and 10% from 3-point land.
The Thunderbirds end the season with a WJCAC title while accomplishing a 30-4 record in the process.
"Anytime you can win 30 games, you've had a great year at any level," Mefford said. "I think we had a lot of goals for this season, and we were able to go win the conference in the regular season, the Region V tournament didn't go how we wanted, but we made it to the end and made a good run at it."
Pania Davis' hand injury played a large factor in the T-Birds ability to keep that same continuity they had all season leading up to the national tournament.
"We thought we had a chance to compete for a national championship, and then we had the injury to Pania that kind of took the wind out of our sails, but we found a way to overcome and get through the first game."
It's a bittersweet moment for the season to come to a close after such a historic season for the women's team in Year 5 under Coach Mefford.
"I still thought we had an opportunity to make a run in Casper and we didn't. Fell short tonight, but as whole this season we have had a WBCA National Player of the Year and a Conference Player of the Year. We've ranked No. 1 in the country this year," Coach Mefford said. "We'll regroup. Unfortunately, we lose eight sophomores that are moving on. Some very big shoes in terms of Pania and Cacia and what they were able to do over the last two years is kind of irreplaceable, but we'll replace them in a different way with different people and move forward."
"Amyah Sutton was incredible her sophomore year and built on a good freshman year. But you know, just the way she grew, and some of our other sophomores grew over the course of two years, it's sad to see him go, but they'll all be going to play basketball in the future, wherever their new homes are."
Coach Mefford said he understands that NMJC is just one stop on their basketball journey albeit an important one for their life in basketball and beyond the court.
"When we sign them, the first goal is if they're here for two years is to graduate, and all of them are on track to graduate, and then being able to move on and play basketball if that's what they desire and that's what they want."
"So, with this group of sophomores that has been their goal, and it's fun to be able to watch a tournament or pull up a game on TV and be able to see your kids playing at the next level and doing well. We are excited for their futures. They'll all end up at different places, but it'll be fun to watch them as they grow the next two years and continue to play."
