WNCC men host North Platte in crucial sub-region showdown

The Region IX men’s basketball tournament has been vacant from Cougar Palace for 10 years.

Tonight, the Cougars can bring that 16-team tournament back to Cougar Palace when they host North Platte Community College in a East Sub-region showdown with the winner hosting this year’s tournament slated for March 3-7. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

“This is a very important game that we looked forward to all year. One of our goals was to host the Region IX Tournament, and we have an opportunity to do that if we win Saturday,” WNCC coach John Jungers said. “Host the regional tournament is great for the community. It brings some great basketball to town and it helps economically. It will be a lot of fun.”

North Platte, though, will be no push over. The Knights enter the at 20-6 and are coming off a 70-49 pasting of McCook Community College.

“North Platte has a lot of balance,” Jungers said. “They are playing really hard and right now they have a lot of confidence. They are going to get up and they are going to guard us.”

The Knights have three players averaging in double figures. Sophomore Danny Tucker is averaging 14.8 points a game, including knocking home 46 3-pointers this season. The Knights also are seeing double-digits from Joseph Odugbela at 11.2 points and Charles Smith at 11.

North Platte is also one of the top defensive teams in the region giving up just 68.7 points a game compared to WNCC’s 77 points. Offensively, though, the two teams are practically equal. The Cougars are averaging 81.6 points a game to North Platte’s 79.6.

Jungers said the key for the Cougars to come away with the victory and the right to host the regional tournament, will be getting stops.

“We just need to get stops and that has ended up being a big emphasis this year,” he said. “That involves good defense and that involves being able to collect loose balls and rebounds.”

Getting those last minutes stops proved beneficial for WNCC Wednesday night as they turned back Eastern Wyoming Wednesday night 76-74 on the road. The close Wednesday has been something the Cougars have experienced all season with the last seven games the Cougars have played, the final margin was less then five points.

“Every one of our games it seems has gone down to the wire,” Jungers said. “I think we are well tested. We had that experience the other night at Torrington and we came out ahead. You learn as the season goes along. We have learned how to finish games. I think that might go to our advantage. Our guys followed the game plan and executed it and we made our free throws.”

WNCC is led by a plethora of players that light up the scoreboard. Leading the list is Texas Tech recruit Ricardo De Bem, who is averaging 17.7 points and eight rebounds a game. Next in line is CJ Hampton who is averaging 13 points a game. Wednesday night, Hampton finished with 23 points and four 3-pointers.

Also netting double digits are Erik Smith at 12.4 points and Matthew Akins at 10.5 points. Jungers said the versatility that this team shows makes them dangerous in the final weeks of the season.

“Our guys have competed all year long. I have all the confidence in the world in these young men that they are going to come out and give their best effort,” he said. “If they do that, the rest will take care of itself. I would love to see The Palace packed. It should be an high-level game and exciting to watch.”