Runnin’ Lopes Sweep Southeast, Cut Down Net to Celebrate Historic Season

March 2, 2026

The regular season ended the only way it could for the Lamar Community College women's basketball team — with a win, a ladder, and a sharp pair of scissors.

The Runnin' Lopes capped off the 2025–26 regular season with a tightly contested 65-64 victory over Southeast Community College on Saturday afternoon.

It was their second victory of the week over the visitors from Lincoln, NE. Earlier in the week, the Lopes beat Southeast on their home floor by a score of 80-56 in a make-up game. The game was rescheduled to be played earlier this week after their original early January contest was postponed.

After the men's team also defeated Southeast, the ladies returned to the court to celebrate the program's first Region IX South championship by cutting down the net in front of their home bench.

The Lopes clinched the top spot in the South when they defeated Southeast earlier in the week, but they kept the celebration on ice until they could return home and add one more win to their portfolio.

During the game, it was Ana Zesati leading the charge for the Lopes. She delivered a dominant double-double, finishing with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Alongside her was Amaya Williams, who matched Zesati with 21 points of her own while adding nine rebounds.

The win sends the Lopes to the postseason on an 8-game winning streak, the longest in program history. The team's 20-6 overall record also sets a mark for most wins in a season.

Head Coach Christopher Godfrey praised his team's resilience throughout the season:

"The theme of this season has been our ability to respond. We've encountered so much adversity and change from August until now, but these ladies have came back swinging every single time. To be able to end this season holding a net says everything about the character that our team has when things get tough. We've had plenty of opportunities to fold this season, but we just never took them."

With momentum on their side and a championship secured, the Runnin' Lopes will now turn their focus to postseason competition. The team have earned a bye in the opening round of the Region IX Tournament. They will take the floor next on March 12 in the tournament quarterfinals on the campus of Western Wyoming College against a to be determined opponent.