The St. Louis Community College Lady Archers basketball team found themselves in new territory on Saturday afternoon, playing on the final day at the national tournament. The Archers shook off a shaky first half, they shot 25% from the field and only 17% from the foul line, that saw them trail 26-24 at the half, and outscored Essex County 49-26 in the second half to claim the 73-52 victory and a 5th place finish at the NJCAA D2 national tournament.
STLCC was led by freshmen Chrishana Wilson and Erica Waeltermann, Wilson scored 25 points, pulled down 17 rebounds and grabbed 4 steals, while Waeltermann scored 22 points and also had 4 steals. Wilson scored 21 of her 25 points in the second half, with a majority of them coming in the fourth quarter to help outscore the Lady Wolverines 24-9 in the final frame. As much as Wilson owned the fourth quarter, the third quarter belonged to Waeltermann as she did it all defensively and offensively, including multiple three pointers and steals, as the Archers outscored Essex 25-17 in the third quarter.
The Lady Archers outrebounded Essex County 47-30, including a commanding difference of 27-8 on the offensive glass and forced 28 Lady Wolverine turnovers. STLCC finishes their year at 26-9 and achieved their highest finish at the NJCAA D2 national tournament in school history.