Women's Basketball Battle Early but Fall to No. 1 Dodge City

DODGE CITY, Kan. - The Trojans women's basketball team showed flashes of what it's capable of, but a second-quarter surge from the nation's top team proved too much to overcome in a 64–48 road loss to No. 1 Dodge City on Wednesday (Dec. 3) night.

Colby opened the game with confidence, scoring the first four points and matching Dodge City's pace early. But the Conquistadors, undefeated and leading the nation in made threes, responded with a 13–0 run to grab control. The Trojans refused to fold, chipping away and pulling within three late in the second quarter. 

Just as Colby seized the momentum, Dodge flipped it back, closing the half on another push to build a 36–21 lead. That 15-point cushion became the turning point, as the Conqs carried the separation the rest of the night.

Freshman forward Dessirae Ulmer was the star of the game, powering the Trojans with an efficient and dominant performance inside. Ulmer finished with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go with eight rebounds, controlling the paint on both ends. Off the bench, Elia Ando stepped up with eight points and four rebounds, while Jera Kruleski added five and Amisha Russell pulled down four boards.

Colby shot a respectable 38 percent from the field but struggled from long range, going 3-for-23 from deep. Dodge City, true to form, buried 11 three-pointers, which became the game's defining difference. The teams finished even on the glass with 34 rebounds each, but turnovers told another part of the story, Colby committed 24 giveaways, which Dodge converted into 25 points. The Conqs also held advantages in second-chance scoring (17–6) and bench production (22–16).

Dodge City was led by Jolie Mantz's 15 points, while Manuela Piljevic added 11 points and seven rebounds. Jade Celerier and Saje Evans each chipped in 10 as the Conqs improved to 9–0 (4–0 KJCCC).

Despite the outcome, the Trojans showed stretches of strong, disciplined basketball, especially in the first half, against the nation's top-ranked team. Colby will look to build on those positives as conference action continues at home thai Saturday (Dec. 3) against Cloud County.