The Highland Women's basketball team fell to 1-3 on the season after falling just short in both games of the Great Western Dining Classic held November 18 & 19 in Fort Dodge, IA.

In the first game played Friday afternoon, Highland faced off against Des Moines Area Community College Bears (DMACC) in a physical match-up that went down to the wire. The Cougar defense limited the Bears to 33% from the field, but DMACC was able to come away with a 61-53 win.

Corrina Noble led all scorers with 19 points, and added 10 rebounds to complete her first double-double of the season. Natalija Beleska continued her strong start to the season with a well-rounded stat line - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Cougars as a team shot a season-high 45% from 3 in the loss.

Saturday brought another challenge in the form of Iowa Central Tritons. The tournament hosts jumped out to an early 1st quarter lead, going into the 2nd quarter with a 19-11 advantage. The Cougars battled back, winning both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, trimming the Tritons lead to 1 (38-37) to start the 4th. The run ended there, as the Tritons closed out the game with a 55-47 victory.

The Highland defense again made things difficult for their opponent, holding them to 24% from the field and forcing 23 turnovers. Maddie Hildebrand (11 points) and Ariadna Kuc (10) paced the Cougars offensively.