WNCC men score 49 second half points to earn win over Otero

LAJUNTA, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team received a double-double from Geddes Robinson and the Cougars put Friday's loss behind them with an impressive 72-58 win against Otero Junior College on Saturday at LaJunta, Colo.

"This was a good win, a much needed win for us," WNCC coach Russ Beck said. "We had to get back to the basics and box out. We did that and outrebounded a very athletic Otero team 46-36."

Robinson paced the Cougars with a double-double, netting 26 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Brylle Kamen led the team on the glass by pulling down 13 rebounds.

WNCC earned the win by coming back from a halftime deficit and outscoring the Rattlers by 20 points 49-29. Otero held a 29-23 lead at halftime and Francisco Cruz didn't score in the opening 20 minutes.

Cruz, the team's leading scorer, made up for that in the second half as he finished with 13 points, including 2 3-pointers. Mateus Chaves also knocked home two 3-pointers as the red-shirt freshman came in off the bench to score eight points.

"Our subs stepped up for us tonight," Beck said. "They played with passion and the whole team played unselfishly. We have to keep it simple and focus on the basics."

WNCC definitely received a balanced scoring output as nine of the 10 players on the roster scored. The Cougars also received six points from O'Rion Hughes, five points from Joe Stock, two points and five rebounds from Ritche Mundende, two points from Andre Marone, eight points from Kamen, and two points and four assists from Geoffrey Firmin.

WNCC, 11-6, will now face Casper College on the road on Wednesday. Casper split a pair of games over the weekend as they fell to Western Wyoming Community College 81-77 before rebounding on Saturday against Central Wyoming College and winning 85-75.

"Now as we prepare for a very good Casper team, we must focus on finsihing defensive stops with rebounds," Beck said. "We have a big week of basketball ahead of us, but all we are focused on is us going into Casper and playing good Cougar basketball."

After the Casper road trip, the Cougars open sub-region play when they travel to Northeast Community College in Norfolk on Saturday. They will then return home to face Eastern Wyoming College on Jan. 25.

WNCC (11-6) 23 49 -- 72
Otero (6-11) 29 29 -- 58
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Francisco Cruz 13, Geddes Robinson 26, Brylle Kamen 8, Geoffrey Firmin 2, O'Rion Hughes 6, Andre Marone 2, Joe Stock 5, Mateus Chaves 8, Ritchie Mundende 2.