When Danny Smith nailed the game-tying 3-point shot on Saturday to help the Western Nebraska Community College Cougar men earn a 72-71 double overtime win over Laramie County Community College, it was a momentum turner.
“That win gives us a lot for our confidence. We have been practicing hard after coming back from break and really getting after it for three hours straight, going all out to get ready for this next semester,” the point guard from Baltimore said. “These games count a lot for your league games. A win like that does a lot for our confidence. We are going into Wednesday with a good head on our shoulders. We are ready and focused. We have been practicing really hard.”
Wednesday, the Cougar men will be hoping to ride some of that confidence they generated on Saturday when the play host to Casper College in a men’s and women’s doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Cougar Palace.
Smith knows, though, that the Casper game won’t be easy by any means.
“We haven’t talked about them,” he said. “We saw them play at the Colby College tournament. I know they have a pretty good point guard and a pretty solid big man. Other than that we will come in to play and compete tomorrow night.”
The Casper men come into the contest with an impressive 12-4, including a 74-69 overtime win over Northeastern Junior College on Saturday. Casper is averaging 80 points a game, while giving up 74 points.
The T-Birds are led by sophomore Jeremiah Wilson at 13.6 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. They also see Josh Davis scoring 12.9 points a game, while David McKinnie is netting 12.1 points a game.
Ryan Allen, a Torrington High graduate, is also seeing impressive minutes, averaging 5.2 rebounds and one steal a game for the T-Birds.
WNCC, on the other hand, is not that far behind Casper. The Cougars have won their last two contests and are 11-7 on the season. They accomplished the 11 wins with a fierce defense. Against McCook in a 87-66 East sub-region win, the Cougars’ defense held the Indians in check in the second half.
Then, in the LCCC contest on Saturday, the Cougars got stop after stop in the overtime period, including thwarting three shots with under 19 seconds to play in the second overtime to preserve the win.
“We did get into a shooting slump during the game, which was bad, but we got stops after stops on defense,” he said. “Coach Joyce always told us if we aren’t playing very good offense, you have to get stops. We did and we battled on.”
WNCC comes into the contest as the 32nd best defense in the country giving up 66.9 points a game. Offensively, the team has been spectacular at times, averaging 76.8 points a game.
The Cougars are led by a variety of players, including three players averaging in double figures. Smith leads the way, averaging 12.5 points a game followed by Kelvin Franklin’s 12.4 points a game. Drew Eisinger is also averaging double-digits at 11.7 points in 18 games so far this season.
Like the Cougar men, the women’s basketball team is also riding some momentum entering Wednesday’s non-sub-region contest against the Thunderbirds. WNCC has won its last 12 contests for a 16-3 record. The Cougar women also boast one of the top defenses in the nation, falling in at 6th with a 48.3 average.
In WNCC’s last 12 contests, they have won by 10 or more points. The closest contest was Saturday when they overcame a 32-24 halftime deficit to defeat Otero Junior College 62-52.
The WNCC women, in the meantime, are lead by a slew of players. Chelsea Lyles is the only one averaging double-digits at 13.1 points a game. Right behind Lyles, though, is Alison Cheney at 9.8 points and Emma Beddome at 9.3 points.
Wednesday’s contest with Casper will, in fact, be a important since the T-birds ended the Cougars four-year run on the Region IX title last March by defeating the Cougars in the title contest. And, this game will not be easy. Casper comes in with a 11-6 record after falling to Northeastern Junior College on Saturday 44-41.
Casper is led by Miljana Cejic at 13.7 points a game, followed by Adrianna Washington and Josie Stewart at 11.5 points a game.
Tonight’s Region IX rivalry match with Casper will also feature plenty of excitement including the unveiling of the volleyball national championship banner before the men’s basketball game. Also, there will be free Runza sandwiches with a drink purchase, Runza promotions and free-throw shooting contests at halftime.
After Casper’s contest, both Cougar teams will have a week off before they travel to Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., for a doubleheader next Wednesday.
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