The Pratt Community College Women's Basketball team picked up a huge road win Wednesday night (Feb. 21), defeating Cloud County Community College 84-66 in Concordia. Sophomore guard Princess Anderson (Beaumont, Tex.) led the way with a 44-point performance. Anderson is the nation's leading scorer, averaging 27-points per game.  

Although Anderson had a huge night, it was a total team effort that led the Beavers to win number 13 on the season to pull to .500 overall. Seven Beavers scored, with Emily Acton (Cimarron) the only other Pratt player in double figures with 10 points including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Anderson, Acton, and fellow sophomore Macy Hanzlick (Hoisington) each had six rebounds. Freshman guard Janessa Pauda (Plainview, Tex.) was credited with five rebounds, but back taps and hustle plays resulted in teammates being benefactors of four more offensive rebounds as Pauda made a huge impact in the game despite battling foul trouble throughout the contest. The Texas native made her only 3-point attempt of the night.  

Defensively, sophomore forward Celesta Teijema played a huge role in the win, as she was tasked with the responsibility of guarding Cloud's 6-2 forward Maimouna Sissoko of Mali, who is set to team up with Pratt's Anderson at Wichita State next season. A 21-point, 24-rebound night for Sissoko would make it seem Teijema lost the battle when in reality the 6-0 Netherlands product made Sissoko earn everything she got, playing arguably the best game of her career. The Beavers outscored Cloud 34-32 in the paint. 

The Beavers forced Cloud County into 23 turnovers which Pratt converted into 21 points. Hanzlick and Anderson each had six steals to lead Pratt. Acton was credited with three thefts and Teijema one. Pratt committed only two turnovers in the first half and finished with eight total for the game, almost five less than the Beavers season average. Currently, the Beavers are 16th in the nation averaging only 12.8 turnovers per game. 

After trailing 19-15 at the end of the first quarter, the Beavers offense sputtered and a Sarah Lawless trey gave the Thunderbirds their largest lead of the game, a 10-point advantage with 4:32 remaining in the second quarter which capped an 18-10 run. Thankfully for Pratt, Anderson converted an offensive rebound with a putback, made a pair of free throws, and turned a steal into a Hanzlick 3-pointer to pull the Beavers within three, 35-32 in just 33 seconds. 

Sophomore Isis Sanders (Wichita) benefited from an Acton steal and Hanzlick assist to convert a layup with 1:07 remaining in the first half to give the Beavers a 42-41 advantage, their first lead since Hanzlick assisted Acton on a 3-pointer that gave Pratt a 6-3 lead three minutes into the game. 

However, Sissoko converted an offensive rebound at the halftime buzzer for a 43-42 Thunderbird lead. 

With 6:29 left in the third quarter, Anderson connected on a 3-pointer to give the Beavers a 48-46 advantage that Pratt would never surrender. Pratt went on a 15-0 run sparked by Anderson and a pair of Acton baskets. After holding Cloud scoreless for nearly four minutes during the run, Cloud made a pair of charity tosses to stop the bleeding, with the Beavers in control 60-48 with 2:48 left in the third. 

Midway through the final stanza, back-to-back 3-pointers by Anderson and Acton pushed the lead to 73-55 with 4:29 left, giving the Beavers an 18-point advantage, which held up for an 84-66 Pratt victory. 

The win over the Thunderbirds guarantees the Beavers are headed to the post season. The first round of the Region IV Playoffs is slated for Saturday, Mar. 9 with the site and opponent yet to be determined. 

A 10-for-26 night from beyond the arc was a little more than the Beavers average of nearly nine made 3-pointers per game. For the season according to the NJCAA, Pratt is fifth in 3's made per game and fourth in 3-point attempts with nearly 30 a game. Against Cloud, Anderson was 3-for-9, Acton and Teijema were both 2-for-4 from long range. Pauda, Hanzlick, and Sanders sank one three apiece.  

Scoring for the Beavers in the win: Anderson, 44 points; Acton, 10; Sanders, nine; Teijema, nine; Hanzlick seven; Pauda, three; and Lauren Galliher (Hutchinson), two. 

The Beavers (13-13, 7-13) will put a four-game win streak on the line Saturday, Feb. 24 when Pratt hosts Cowley College (14-13, 8-13) at 2 p.m. in the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena. 

Postgame Notes 

• Princess Anderson is the all-time leading scorer at Pratt Community College with 1,414 points scored. 

• Anderson leads the NJCAA with 702 points scored while averaging a nation's best 27 points per game. 

• Macy Hanzlick leads the Beavers in three categories: Rebounds 226 total, 8.7 per game; Assists 65 total, 2.5 per game; Blocks 33 total, 1.3 per game. 

• Against Cloud on Wednesday, Hanzlick had an impressive stat line seven points, six rebounds, six steals, five assists, and two blocks. 

• Wednesday's 84 points versus Cloud is the seventh time in 2023-2024 the Beavers have scored 80 points or more. 

• Pratt is 6-and-1 when scoring 80 or more points. The only loss was on Nov. 29 against No. 15 Dodge City Community College 90-88. 

• The Beavers are a perfect 4-and-0 when scoring 78 points during the 2023-2024 season.