The win, the Cougar’s 24th of the season, gave WNCC the series sweep over the Plainsmen, who WNCC coach Brian Joyce coached at before coming to WNCC. Joyce thought his team played hard in getting the win.
“I knew it was going to be a physical game. They obviously have a good team and have won a lot of games in the last few years,” Joyce said. “Our guys were excited for the game, but I thought our guys did a good job keeping their composure and putting us in position to win. We just had to make tough plays and eventually we started to get a little bit of a gap in the second half.”
WNCC didn’t start the contest like world-beaters as the Plainsmen took it to the Cougars, racing to a 15-9 lead on a Anthony Harris bucket and zoomed ahead 21-12 after a AJ Wilson 3-pointer. That was when the tied started to change as Harris, who had eight early points, was dismissed from the game after receiving a technical foul.
With Harris, one of the Plainsmen’s leading scorers out of the contest, things became a chess match on the court. The Cougars fought back as Daniel Smith tied the contest at 29-29. Neither team held more than a three-point lead the rest of the half as Francisco Cruz buried an NBA 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Cougars into the locker room tied with NJC 44-44.
The second half became the Bamforth 3-point show as the freshman from Albuquerque, N.M., sizzled the nets for five treys. Bamforth nailed two treys in the first four minutes to give WNCC a 57-52 lead. NJC came back, cutting the lead to two points on a Will Bell bucket, 59-57.
The Cougars, leading just by four points with 10 minutes to play, put some distance between them and the Plainsmen as Bamforth connected on two 3-pointers and Cruz nailed one as well, to give WNCC a 72-61 lead.
NJC cut the deficit to eight points, 80-72 with 3:23 to play, but Bamforth quickly silenced the comeback, drilling his eight 3-pointer of the contest. Bamforth eight 3-pointers is the most 3-pointers in a game since Jason Trimble buried eight in 1997 against North Platte Community College. The school record is 11 set by Scottsbluff’s Rick Kinner back in 1996.
Those three consecutive 3-pointers was a big factor in the game.
“I thought our guys did a really good job of finding them (Bamforth and Cruz),” Joyce said. “That is always tough at this level because guys are always trying to show off and do things themselves so they can get recruited to the next level. Our guys have done a good job of concerning themselves with the team and finding the open shooters. I thought Clark and Danny did a good job with that. Those two are great penetrators that they can find the open guy, and then they hit the shot when they got it.”
WNCC finished the game with 11 total 3-pointers, including three from Cruz. The Cougars also put four players in double figures. Bamforth not only had 31 points, but he was 8 of 13 from the 3-point arc and 7 of 9 from the free throw line.
Cruz finished with 21 points, including going 8 of 10 from the free throw line as well as pulling down five rebounds. Sedrick McBounds and Danny Smith each finished with 12 points. Smith also had four assists.
NJC was led by AJ Wilson with 32 points, including four 3-pointers. Wilson was the only Plainsmen in double digits.
WNCC also out-rebounded the Plainsmen 40-29, including a 16-10 edge on the offensive boards. The Cougars were also 26 of 37 from the free throw line compared to 16 of 29 for the Plainsmen.
WNCC will next be in action at the Region IX men’s tournament, which will be held in Sterilng, Colo. The Cougars will open play Friday against Dawson Community College at 3 p.m. If they win, they will face the winner of the Central Wyoming and Lamar contest Sunday at 3 p.m. The winner of the regional tournament qualifies for the national tournament.
Joyce said now is the time of the season where a team needs to play hard each and every game.
“Once you get in the post season you will play against good teams,” he said. “So, from here on out, there can’t be a letdown because you will go home real quick. We will continue to work on the same things all year, which is making it difficult for the teams to score.”
NJC (20-10)
WNCC (24-6) 44 51 – 95
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Leon Washington 2, Mitchell Fraser 6, Will Bell 8, Justin Schniedier 7, Dre Calloway 6, Alex Garcia 9, AJ Wilson 32, Nate Nelson 3, Anthony Harris 8.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Lloyd Hickinson 2, Tarell Clark 6, Danny Smith 12, Chris Hamblin 6, Scott Bamforth 31, Francisco Cruz 21, Sedrick McBounds 12, John Bright 3.
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