SPOKANE, Wash.- No. 12 Rocky Mountain College women's basketball overcame a sluggish start to open the season, grinding out a 58-57 victory over LC State behind a historic double-double from Isabelle Heggem.
Heggem's 25 rebounds set a single-game program record, surpassing Markaela Francis's 2019 mark of 21. Meanwhile, teammate Paige Wasson eclipsed the 1,000-career-point milestone in just her 63rd career game to help lift the Battlin' Bears.
How it happened
Rocky struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, as the Battlin' Bears were held without a field goal for the first seven minutes and finished the first quarter shooting just 1-of-20. However, a stout defensive effort kept them within striking distance, trailing just 12-5 heading into the second frame.
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The defense continued to dictate play in the second period, as Rocky held the Warriors scoreless for the first five minutes while Heggem and Wasson combined for a 6-0 run to trim the gap to a single point. LC State responded to re-extend its lead, but Heggem closed the half with a three-point play, converting an and-one to pull Rocky within four, 26-22, at the break.
Rocky made its move early in the third quarter. Making her collegiate debut, Nasya O'Connor scored back-to-back baskets to cap off a 9-0 run, turning a seven-point deficit into a two-point Battlin' Bear advantage. The teams traded blows for the rest of the frame before Wasson knocked down consecutive jumpers to give Rocky a 43-40 lead heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was a tight, back-and-forth battle. An early 7-1 run by LC State leveled the game at 47-47 entering the final five minutes. Moments later, Heggem sparked a surge with a steal that led to a Tailyn Black fast-break layup. Tailyn Black and Paige Wasson followed with back-to-back three-pointers on the ensuing possessions, building a six-point cushion with three minutes to play.
Though Rocky's offense went quiet down the stretch, its defense held firm. LC State trimmed the lead to two with 30 seconds left, but Heggem hit the game-sealing jumper with five seconds remaining. LC State answered with a three-pointer with just seconds remaining, but Rocky secured the inbounds pass and held on for the hard-fought one-point victory.
Notable statistics
Paige Wasson led the offense with a team-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 16 of her 20 points in the second half. Her 14th point of the contest, coming in the third quarter, pushed her past 1,000 career points at RMC to kick off her junior season.
Isabelle Heggem delivered a monumental performance, recording a program-record 25 rebounds alongside 19 points. Heggem snagged 10 offensive boards, powering Rocky to 21 total offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points. Making her collegiate debut, Ekalaka native Nasya O'Connor tallied 10 points and four rebounds (three offensive).
Defenses dictated the pace early in the season, with both squads shooting below 30% from the floor. The Battlin' Bears shot 29.9% overall and 28.6% from deep, while the Warriors shot 28.4% overall and 33.3% from three-point range (8-of-24).
For LC State, Kendall Wallace recorded a game-high 23 points and hit 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
No. 12-ranked Rocky women's basketball (1-0) wraps up the Northwest Crossover Classic against Southern Oregon on Sunday morning in Spokane.
