Lady Trojans Roll Past Sterling in Home Opener

The Colby Community College women’s basketball team opened its 2025-26 home schedule in convincing fashion Saturday, defeating Sterling College JV Warriors 88-50 at the Colby Event Center. The Lady Trojans showed balanced scoring, efficient shooting, and depth across the lineup to move to 1-0 on the young season.

Colby stormed out to a 26-10 first-quarter lead and never looked back, using a quick-paced attack and strong ball movement to control tempo throughout the night. The Trojans shot an impressive 49.3 percent from the floor (33-of-67) and connected on 12 of 32 shots from beyond the arc.

Freshman guard Olivia Hultgren led the offensive effort with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Sophomore Jera Kruleski was nearly automatic from deep, scoring 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, with five makes from long range. Forward Elia Ando added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench, providing an inside presence on both ends of the floor.

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The Trojans’ balanced attack saw five players score eight or more points, including Easha Potts with nine and Adrian Neal with eight. Ten different players contributed to the scoring column as Colby’s bench accounted for 44 of the team’s 88 points.

Colby’s defense was equally sharp, forcing 18 Sterling turnovers while committing only four themselves. The Trojans capitalized on those extra possessions, scoring 26 points off turnovers and limiting the Warriors to 35 percent shooting from the field.

Head Coach Darin Spence praised his team’s energy and effort while keeping focus on the bigger picture. “We are working hard to get better each day and stay focused through our six non-conference games,” Spence said. “With only six of these games to prepare before the rugged 24 Jayhawk conference games, we need each player focused, healthy and on the same page. I like this group and how hard it works with each other. We have a chance to have a good season, but have many lessons to go through.”

The Lady Trojans held a 30-29 edge on the glass and shot an efficient 71 percent from the free-throw line. Colby also outscored Sterling 28-12 in the paint and 16-3 on second-chance opportunities.

The win sets an early tone for a team looking to build chemistry and consistency ahead of the Kansas Jayhawk Conference season. Colby continues non-conference play this week as they look to maintain their strong start and refine their identity under Spence’s veteran leadership.

Final Score: Colby 88, Sterling 50