Ulmer’s 30 Lifts Women's Basketball Past Pratt in Plains District Opener

COLBY, Kan. - The 2026 NJCAA Division I Plains District Tournament began on a positive note for the Colby women's basketball team Saturday (March 7) as the Trojans used a dominant second half to pull away from Pratt for a 58–42 victory in the opening round inside the Colby Event Center.

Colby improved to 16-15 on the season with the win and advanced to the next round of the Plains District Tournament where the Trojans will face nationally ranked Hutchinson Tuesday (March 10) evening at 6 p.m.

The opening half was tightly contested as neither team could create separation offensively. Both squads struggled shooting the basketball throughout the night, and the first half reflected that defensive battle. Pratt opened the game trading baskets with the Trojans as the two teams finished the first quarter knotted at 14–14.

The Beavers matched Colby again in the second quarter as both teams scored 15 points apiece. Despite a handful of opportunities for either side to grab momentum, defensive pressure and missed shots kept the game locked up, sending the teams into halftime tied at 29–29.

Colby began to create breathing room coming out of the break. The Trojans tightened up defensively in the third quarter, holding Pratt to just seven points while beginning to find rhythm offensively. Colby scored 12 points in the frame to take its first real advantage of the night and carried a 41–36 lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the Trojans. Colby outscored Pratt 17–6 over the final ten minutes, using defensive stops and transition opportunities to finally pull away. The Trojans also capitalized on Beaver mistakes, scoring 14 points off turnovers in the game while committing just nine themselves.

Leading the charge offensively for Colby was sophomore guard Dessirae Ulmer, who delivered a dominant performance with a game-high 30 points. Ulmer shot 10-of-20 from the field and was perfect at the free throw line, converting all 10 attempts while adding six rebounds.

Easha Potts controlled the glass for the Trojans with nine rebounds to go along with four points, while Piri Lewis contributed six points, five rebounds, and two assists. Off the bench, Jera Kruleski added seven points and Elia Ando chipped in six points and six rebounds to give Colby valuable production from its reserves.

As a team, Colby shot 32.8 percent from the floor and knocked down 16-of-20 free throws, an 80 percent mark that helped separate the Trojans late in the game. The Trojans also held Pratt to just 25.4 percent shooting and an 8.3 percent clip from three-point range.

Pratt was led by Kalani Brock with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Polla Balint added 10 points for the Beavers.

With the opening round victory, the Trojans now advance deeper into the Plains District bracket and will travel to face three seeded Hutchinson in the next round of the postseason. The Trojans went 0-2 against Hutchinson in the regular season, but battled closely in both games.