WNCC men eliminated at regional tournaemnt by Sheridan

SHERIDAN, Wyo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team fought hard, but just didn't have horses to stay with a talented Sheridan College team in falling 92-73 in the second-round of the men's Region IX tournament in Sheridan, Wyo., Sunday evening.

The Cougars hung with the Generals early one as they were tied at 9-9 after a Francisco Cruz bucket. Sheridan then went on a 8-0 run to push the lead to 17-9.

WNCC battled back, slicing the lead to 23-18 on a O'Rion Hughes bucket. WNCC kept hanging with the high-flying Generals on their home court trailing just by six points at 27-21. That was when the Generals hit back-to-back 3-pointers to go up by double digits. The double digit lead was short lived as Geoffrey Firmin connected on a 3-pointers and moments later Cruz, who verbally committed with the University of Wyoming last month, canned a field goal to trail 35-26. Sheridan would lead at halftime 38-28.

WNCC tried slicing the lead to single digits in the second half but never could manage to get within 10 points. The last time the Cougars trailed by 10 was at 51-41 on a Hughes bucket. After that, the Generals made a charge, outscoring WNCC 12-2 to go up 63-43.

To WNCC's defense, they never gave up as they came back to slice the lead to 12 points at 63-51 on a Joe Stock 3-pointer with about 11 minutes to play. Sheridan, however went on a 13-2 run to go up 76-63 with eight minutes left and coasted to the quarter-final win.

Shooting was the big difference in the contest as the Generals shot 51 percent for the game compared to 38 percent for the Cougars. The other big difference was the Cougars couldn't stop the General's big horses inside with a number of buckets from the paint, including a number of dunks.

Steven Ivory, Jr., led the Generals with 19 points followed by Antoine Proctor with 16 points and JR Cadot, who verbally committed to Texas Christian University, finished with 12 points.

WNCC also had three players hit the double digit column. Francisco Cruz wrapped up his 2-year career at WNCC with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Hughes and Geddes Robinson also had 15 points each.

The Cougars finish the year at 19-13 and lose three sophomores from the team that played second semester in Cruz, Robinson and Saul Torres.

WNCC 28 45 -- 73
Sheridan 38 54 -- 92
SHERIDAN
Jarrell Crayton 8, Kendrick Morse 8, Antoine Procter 16, JR Cadot 12, Idris Lasisi 9, Omar McDade 5, Bryen Pyles 4, Steven Ivory, Jr., 19, Sam Iwueke 6, Charlton WIlson 5.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Geoffrey Firmin 9, O'Rion Hughes 15, Joe Stock 8, Francisco Cruz 15, Geddes Robinson 15, Andre Marone 2, Saul Torres 9.