Emmery Wagstaff, the daughter of Garth Wagstaff, a Chadron State College wrestler in the early 1990s, poured in a career-high 35 points while leading the Western Colorado Mountaineers to a 62-54 victory over the Lady Eagles in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference basketball game in Chadron on Thursday night.
A 5-foot-7 super senior from Evanston, Wyo., Wagstaff tallied 23 points in the first half when the visitors built a 35-18 lead that proved to be insurmountable for the hosts.
The Eagles warmed up and Wagstaff cooled off in the second half, allowing Chadron State to cut the lead to 57-54 with 4:20 left to play. However, the Eagles failed to score again and Western added the game’s final five points.
Emmery’s father had a winning record and earned Academic All-American while competing for the CSC wrestlers in 1992-93 and 1993-94 after he’d previously wrestled at Northwest Wyoming College at Powell. She said 34 points was her most she scored as an all-state high school player and 33 was her previous college high.
She entered the game averaging 15.7 points this winter and scored 13 against the Eagles during Western’s 56-54 win in the game played Dec. 10 in Gunnison.
This time against the Eagles, she was 12-of-23 from the field, including 6-of-11 on 3-pointers, and made five-of-seven free throws. Another Western Colorado player, Shannon Smart, is the all-time high scorer against the Eagles with 41 points in 1992-93.
For the second game in a row, the Eagles scored just seven points in the opening quarter as the Mountaineers took a nine-point lead. Wagstaff was especially hot in the second quarter, when she tallied 15 of her team’s 19 points.
Chadron State struggled again in the second quarter, scoring just 11 points, allowing Western to own a 35-18 halftime margin. The Eagles outscored the visitors 36-27 in the second half, but never completely caught up, even though Wagstaff was held to a dozen points while being defended by freshman Allison Olsen.
Sophomore standout Shay Powers led Chadron State’s second half surge by scoring 14 of her team-high 22 points. Seniors Samiyah Powers with 10 points and Riley Aiono with nine were the only other Eagles to score more than three.
For the game, the Eagles were 22-62 (35.5%), including going 0-14 from behind the arc. Western also made 22 field goals, but Wagstaff sank six treys and Rachel Cockman added one while accumulating 13 total points and also grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds, one more than Wagstaff.
Powers also was CSC’s top rebounder with seven.
Western is now 6-14 overall and 5-10 in the conference. The Eagles are 4-18 and 4-12.
Both Chadron State teams will be on the road the next two weekends before wrapping up the season at home Feb. 22 and 23 against South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State.
Western Colorado—Emmery Wagstaff 35, Rachel Cockman 13, Brooklyn Seymour 6, Alyza Aikins 4, Kylie Krise 2, Hayley Valencia 2. Totals: 22-54 (7-21) 11-14 62 points, 38 rebounds, 14 turnovers.
Chadron State—Shay Powers 22, Samiyah Worrell 10, Riley Aiono 9, Claudia Dollinger 3, Kyra Tanabe 2, Allison Olsen 2, Olivia Waufle 2, Awoti Akoi 2, Emily Achter 2. Totals: 22-62 (0-14) 10-12 54 points, 37 rebounds, 11 turnovers.
Western Colorado 16 19 14 13 —62
Chadron State 7 11 18 18 —-54
3-pointers: WCU—Wagstaff 6, Cockman 1.