Women's Basketball Earn Key Road Win at Independence

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — The Colby Trojans women's basketball team put together a road victory Wednesday (Jan. 21), earning a 70–55 KJCCC win over Independence Community College. The victory moves Colby to 10-9 (7-6 KJCCC), while the Pirates dropped to 4-15 (1-12 KJCCC).

Colby was led by Olivia Hultgren, who finished with a game-high 18 points while knocking down four three-pointers and logging 38 minutes on the floor. Easha Potts continued her strong play inside, recording 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds, and Elia Ando added 12 points and six boards off the bench.

Jera Kruleski provided an important lift from deep, scoring 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc while pulling down six rebounds. Dessirae Ulmer chipped in six points and three rebounds while Piri Lewis directed the offense with seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

The Trojans set the tone early and stayed in control for most of the night. Colby jumped out to a 19–13 lead after the first quarter, then carried that momentum into the second, outscoring Independence 18–12 to take a 37–25 advantage at the break.

Independence made a run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to six after an 18–12 frame, but Colby responded in the fourth. The Trojans closed the game strong, outscoring the Pirates 21–12 in the fourth quarter to pull away and seal the road win.

Colby shot 43.3 percent from the field and hit 7-of-20 from three-point range, while also converting 11-of-14 free throws. The Trojans controlled the paint and the glass, finishing with a 39–32 rebounding edge and a 30–22 advantage in points in the paint. Defensively, Colby forced 14 turnovers and turned them into 21 points, holding Independence to 35.6 percent shooting and preventing any comeback down the stretch.

With contributions throughout the lineup, the ladies displayed thier depth in a conference road environment. The Trojans will look to carry that momentum back to the Colby Event Center on Sunday (Jan. 25) when they square off against Seward County in KJCCC action. With Seward County entering the matchup at 14-5 (9-4 KJCCC) and sitting fifth in the conference standings, Sunday's game presents a key opportunity for Colby to make a jump in conference standings. The Saints are led by conference scoring leader Avery Marchino (19.5 ppg) and play through Grace Posch, one of the league's top assist leaders. Colby led for stretches in the first meeting before a late Seward run, setting the stage for an important conference rematch at the Colby Event Center.