WNCC drops doubleheader to Lamar

Kevin Sanford

                LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earned a pair of one-run defeats Sunday after against Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colo.

                The Cougars fell 2-1 in a contest that saw the Cougars manage just three hits. The second game was even more intense as Lamar scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to earn the 4-3 win.

                The second game had plenty of dramatics as the Cougars fell behind early 3-0 in the third inning as the Runnin’ Lopes scored three times on just two hits.

                WNCC fought back scoring single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3. In the fourth, Nelson Quintero walked and scored on a Reimer Alamberry single.

                Alamberry singled and scored on Kevin Sanford sacrifice to bring the Cougars to within a run. WNCC tied the game in the top of the seventh as Paul Singh delivered a 2-out single and scored on a Quintero line-drive single over shortstop.

                Lamar scored the winning run in the seventh with two outs. The Runnin’ Lopes loaded the bases with two walks and a single before the final run was scored on a bases on ball.

                John Bravard took the loss on the mound, going 1 2/3 innings in allowing two hits and striking out two. Carlos Palomo started the game, going five innings in allowing five hits, three runs and striking out six.

                Alamberry led the team offensively with a 2-for-2 game, including a RBI.

                WNCC fell behind early in the opening game of the non-conference doubleheader with single runs in the first and second innings. The two runs would hold up as the Cougars managed just three hits in the game.

                The Cougars only run came in the fifth inning as Sanford doubled and later scored on a wild pitch with two outs.

                Sanford the Cougars offensively with a 2-for-3 game including a runs scored and a double and stolen base.

                Tim Beard took the loss on the mound, going five innings and allowing four hits, two runs, and striking out two.

                WNCC, 4-5, will next be in action Tuesday when they travel to Boulder, Colo., to face Colorado University Club team before facing Colorado State Club team on Thursday in Ft. Collins.

Game One

WNCC                   000 010 0 – 1 3 1

Lamar                    110 000 x – 2 4 0

LP – Tim Beard; 2B – Kevin Sanford.

Game Two

WNCC (4-5)        000 101 1 – 3 6 0

Lamar (8-6)         003 000 1 – 4 7 0

LP – John Bravard.

WNCC scores 62 second-half points, downs NJC 85-73

               Hauns Brereton and Raul Delgado combined for 55 points, but it was the Western Nebraska Community College’s 62 second-half points that sealed the win for the Cougars, 85-73, over the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace.
                Brereton finished with 35 points, including 15 of 22 from the free throw line, while Delgado collected 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the charity stripe. Delgado’s 20 points, however, were immensely huge as the freshman scored six straight points and had a monster ally-oop dunk that electrified the audience.
                “The lob that Raul caught that he really got up there was a momentum changer,” WNCC coach Russ Beck said. “When we grabbed the lead we hung on to it. He was the big reason why. He had some match ups where we thought they couldn’t guard him and he took advantage of them.”
                The Cougars needed a spark as they were flat-out terrible in the first half. The Cougars fell behind the eight ball in the first half, 32-19 and limped into the locker room down 34-23.
                Beck said that he was proud of his team with the way they came out and responded in the second half, outscoring the Plainsmen 62-39.
                “We scored 62 points in the second half, and I don’t know if I sprinkled a little magic dust on them at halftime. I definitely was upset with the way we played in the first half,” he said. “They were definitely the aggressors. They were beating us on loose balls and hustle plays. We also didn’t want to give up any lay ups and in the first half we probably gave up 12 lay ups. The second half we came out and they were fired up. I was glad to see that they responded to the little pep talk.”
                The second half was the difference in the game as the Cougars shot 58 percent from the field compared to NJC’s 34 percent in the second half. The big differences, though, was free throw shooting and rebounding. The Cougars out-rebounded the Plainsmen 42-33, while converting on 38 of 58 free throws for the game. WNCC was 33 of 47 from the charity stripe in the second half compared to 17 of 24 for NJC. There were a total of 56 fouls called and six technical fouls called between the two teams. NJC had five technicals.
                What led to the team’s second half explosion was taking advantage of NJC’s weaknesses.
                “The first half we did a poor job of bringing the ball up the floor,” Beck said. “In the second half we realized they ran a great transition defense so we pushed the ball and they put us to the line 47 times in the second half.
                “I am pleased with the team overall and I am pleased that we had a good half. The first half was terrible and now we have a little bit of momentum going into the tournament.”
                NJC bolted to a 41-25 lead in the second half before the Cougars cut the lead to single digits with an 8-0 run that was highlighted by Delgado’s six straight points. The lead stayed around nine points for the next few minutes. With the Plainsmen up 52-43 with about 10 minutes gone in the game, WNCC started to pick up the pressure, going on a 6-0 run that brought the Cougars back to 52-49.
                NJC pushed the lead back to 59-53 before Mike Peltz tied the game with two free throws with 6:27 to play at 59-59. NJC answered with an old-fashioned play by James Stukes, only to watch the Cougars go on a 11-0 run over the next three minutes. Brereton gave the Cougars the lead with 5:24 to play by hitting a trey from the corner. WNCC then hit six straight free throws to go up 70-62.
                The Plainsmen fought back to within four points on buckets by Stukes and Widget Washington, who finished with 30 points, at 70-66. But, Justin Standley had five straight points and the Cougars hit 10 of 12 free throws in the final minute to get their 17^th win of the season.
                WNCC, 17-13, had just two players in double figures with Brereton and Delgado. Peltz and Aaron Turner each finished with nine points. Peltz was 9 of 12 from the free throw line.
                The Cougars will next be in action Saturday when they begin regional tournament action in Norfolk when they face Gillette College at noon (MST).

NE Colorado                       34 39 – 73
WNCC                                   23 62 – 85
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Ray Riley 2, Kameron Pearce 10, Donthe Lucas 4, Widgett Washington 30, BJ Dunbar 5, Tyrell Williams 2, James Stukes 18, Austin Maag 2.
WNCC
Brady Mason 1, Mike Peltz 9, Justin Standley 7, Joe Stock 2, Hauns Brereton 35, Raul Delgado 20, Marko Kovacevic 2, Aaron Turner 9.

WNCC women fall to NJC 69-67

 In a battle of top 20 ranked teams, the No. 19 Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team let a win slip through their fingers Saturday afternoon in the final home game for four sophomores, falling to No. 17 Northeastern Junior College 69-67.
                The Cougars, who held a commanding 25-16 lead early in the game, held two and three point leads late in the game, but couldn’t seal the deal as the Plainswomen out-rebounded the Cougars 56-37.
                “It wasn’t shooting the ball tonight, it was rebounding the ball. We got out-rebounded by 20 and gave up 23 offensive rebounds and we didn’t have a desire to rebound the ball and control the boards. They seemed like they wanted it more than we did and when you get out-rebounded by 20, you are lucky to even lose by two.”
                WNCC got up early by 2551-6 as Carolina Alves connected on a 3-pointer with 12:50 to play. The Cougars then went scoreless over the next four minutes before Kyra Peterson took an assist from Shelby Campbell to stop the scoring slump. WNCC held a slim 38-36 lead at halftime.
                The second half saw a back and forth game played between the two teams. NJC took their first lead in the contest since early in the first half when they went on a 6-0 run that was capped by a 3-pointer by Alicia Nichols for a 48-44 lead.
                WNCC came back with a 6-0 run of their own to retake the lead. Both teams traded buckets from there until NJC started to pull away, going up 64-60 on a Lynnae Cox 3-pointer with 4:32 to play. NJC led 68-64 with just under two minutes to play before WNCC made a comeback, cutting the lead to 68-65 with a 1:34 to play. The Cougars had opportunities to score but couldn’t get the bucket. Peterson finished off the game by bringing the score to two points with two free throws with a second to play.
                WNCC shot 38 percent from the field and was 33 percent from the 3-point area. They were also 58 percent from the free throw line (17 of 29). NJC was 6 of 14 from beyond the arc and were 15 of 27 from the free throw line.
                Peterson led the Cougars with 16 points, including two 3-pointers, while Alves had 15 points and eight rebounds. Campbell also had a good game in her final game at Cougar Palace with eight rebounds, seven points and four steals. Lisa Durden chipped in nine points, while Thais Pinto had eight points.
                WNCC will next be in action at the Region IX tournament in Casper, Wyo., beginning Saturday.

NJC                        36 33 – 69
WNCC (26-4)      38 29 – 67
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Adaugo Osuala 6, Ayana Smith 6, Audra Parmer 1, Lynnae Cox 8, Ashley North 12, Alicia Nichols 10, Brooke Baker 1, Morgon Fox 4, Hannah Pollart 9, Maty Diallo 12.
WNCC
Shelby Campbell 7, Tiffany Moorer 5, Lisa Durden 9, Kyra Peterson 16, ChaCha Ofoegbu 5, Danachia Johnson 2, Thais Pinto 8, Carolina Alves 15.

WNCC sweeps Friends College, Agle, Cappuccilli hit grand slams

Aria Agle

            WICHITA, Kan. -- Jacqui Cappuccilli and Aria Agle each had a grand slam and the Western Nebraska Community College softball scored 16 runs in the final two innings to earn a sweep over Friends College junior Varsity Saturday afternoon in Wichita, Kan.

               The Cougars captured game one 13-5 before winning the second game 16-7. Both games saw the Cougars trail and manage comebacks. The Cougars' games on Sunday against Bethany College junior College were cancelled because of dense fog in the Wichita area.

               In the opener, the Cougars trailed 4-2 after two innings before scoring three times in the third inning as Cappuccilli and Jocelyn Stubbs had solo home runs to push the Cougars up 6-4. WNCC added single runs in the fourth and fifth, then plated three runs in the sixth as Sarah Hawryluk had a run-scoring triple.

               WNCC finished off the game with two runs in the seventh. Cappuccilli started the hit parade with a double that scored Mariah Faifer. Cappuccilli later came around to score on a Hawryluk single.

               WNCC managed 13 hits in the opening game with four players finishing with multiple hit games. Hawryluk led the way going 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs. Cappuccilli went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, four runs scored, a double and a home run, while Agle went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double. Stubbs also went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run.

               Ashton Hughes collected the win in the circle, going seven innings while striking out three and walking four. The sophomore right-hander scattered nine hits and allowed seven runs of which only one was earned.

Jacqui Cappuccilli

               The second game was a pitcher's dual for the first five innings as Friends held a 1-0 lead. WNCC opened up the contest in the sixth inning with nine runs. The inning was highlighted by a 2-run scoring double by Agle and a grand slam by Cappuccilli to put the Cougars up 9-1.

               WNCC added another seven runs in the seventh inning to widen the gap. Agle blasted a grand slam in the inning and Megan Bourdon had a 2-run shot to help bolster the Cougars 11-hit attack.

               The Cougars had three players with more than two hits in the contest. Agle paced the team with a 3-for-4 game with a home run, double, two runs scored and seven RBIs. Bourdon finished with a 2-for-4 game, including three RBIs, two runs scored and a home run. Jordan Schoepflin went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks.

               Cappuccilli finished the game with four RBIs and two walks.

               Amanda Jones picked up the win in the circle, going seven innings, allowing nine hits, five runs, while striking out 10 and walking 6.

               WNCC, 7-4, will be back in action on Friday when they face Adams State in Alamosa, Colo., before opening up Region IX play on Saturday against Trinidad State Junior College.

Game One

WNCC                  204 113 3 -- 13 13 2

Friends                 130 001 0 -- 5 9 6

WP -- Ashton Hughes; 2B -- Jacqui Cappuccilli, Aria Agle; 3B -- Sarah Hawruluk; HR -- Cappuccilli, Joclyn Stubbs.

Game Two

WNCC (7-4)         000 009 7 -- 16 11 6

Friends                 000 102 4 -- 7 9 2

WP -- Amanda Jones; 2B -- Mariah Faifer, Agle; HR -- Cappuccilli, Agle, Megan Bourdon.

WNCC volleyball team receives national title rings during halftime of men's game on Saturday

                Western Nebraska Community College will honor this year’s national championship volleyball team during halftime of the Cougar men’s contest against NJC on Saturday. The tip-off for the men’s game is slated for 2 p.m.

The volleyball players and coaches will be presented with their NJCAA national championship rings, as well as congratulatory message from athletic director Ryan Burgner.

                The Cougar volleyball team captured their second national title in four years in November with a five-set win against San Jacinto College. WNCC finished the season with a 43-4 record and captured its 12^th straight national title.

 At the national tournament in West Plains, Mo., three WNCC players Debora Araujo, Fernanda Goncalves, and Kuulei Kabalis were named to the all-tournament team. Goncalves was the MVP of the national tournament. Araujo and Goncalves are freshmen and will be back for their sophomore season, while Kabalis is a sophomore and verbally committed to Kansas State University earlier this month.

                Also, head coach Giovana Melo was just selected by the AVCA as one of the Top 30 coaches under 30. This is Melo’s third straight year to receive the honor. The Top 30 under 30 encompasses coaches from high school through Division I universities. Only two junior college coaches made the list.

                The players will also be available for autographs after the presentation.

WNCC men, women host NJC in sophomores last game at Cougar Palace

                Shelby Campbell has played in front of family and friends ever since she was a youngster growing up in Hemingford and now two years at Western Nebraska Community College.

 So, when Saturday rolls around, Campbell and the rest of the sophomores, will play their final games in Cougar Palace against Northeastern Junior College. The women’s game has a noon tip-off, while the men’s game is slated for 2 p.m.

                “I think this last home game for the sophomores will mean everything. We have worked so hard on this court. Through practice and games, there has been tears, sweat, and blood that has been shed on the court. I think it will be missed because this is our home and for us to play here one last time will be tough, but we have to do it because that is what teams do.

                Campbell, Tiffany Moorer, Thais Pinto and Carol Alves are four sophomores on the women’s team, while Joe Stock and Hauns Brereton are the two sophomores on the men’s team. Campbell, Moorer, Pinto and Alves have led the team to a 26-3 record this season and a No. 19 ranking in the latest NJCAA national poll. The Cougar women will face a NJC team that is ranked No. 17 in the nation with a 25-2 record.

The Cougar women enter the contest with a perfect 13-0 home record.

                “It is good motivation entering the contest that we are 13-0 on our home court,” Campbell said. “We have tremendous support from the fans and everyone to try to make it 14-0.”

                But it won’t be easy contest. The last time the two women’s teams at Sterling, Colo., in January, the Plainswomen registered a 73-64 win over the Cougars, handing the Cougars their second loss of the season.

                “We need to just play our game, play strong defense, box out, rebound, and just do the small things that coach has been saying through the season,” Campbell said.

                The Top 20 showdown will be the last regular season game for both teams as they enter next week’s Region IX tournament in Casper, Wyo.

                “We have everything in reach and we just have to accomplish it as a team and seek a trip to nationals,” Campbell said. “We have to get through this game first and then our next focus is regionals. We need to start strong and finish strong and go into regionals solid.”

                While there is plenty on the line for the Cougars, Campbell the biggest thing is fighting through the tears of knowing this is the final time the sophomores will be playing in front of family and friends at Cougar Palace.

                “I haven’t really thought about playing the last home game until a few minutes ago at practice when [coach Dave] Harnish brought it up,” she said. “Coach said that this is the final time that we, as sophomores, will play in Cougar Palace.”

                The Cougar men will also be in an important game as they prime for the regional tournament next week in Norfolk. The Cougar men enter the final home game with a 16-13 record after getting a win at North Platte on Wednesday.

                The last time the Cougars and NJC men met, the Cougars enjoyed a 69-68 win over the Plainsmen at Sterling. It will be a match-up of two the top scorers in Region IX and the nation. WNCC’s Brereton has been on a tear lately, having scored in double figures the last 13 games. He also has scored 30 or more points in four of the teams’ last five games.

                Widgett Washington is NJC’s leading scorer, averaging nearly 26 points a game. Washington, who also leads Region in assists and steals per game.

                After today’s contest, the Cougar men will face Gillette College in the Region IX tournament on March 5 at noon (MST) in Norfolk, while Northeastern Junior College faces Northwest Wyoming at 6 p.m. on March 5

                Saturday’s contest will also honor the six sophomores on the men’s and women’s basketball team for their time at WNCC.

                NOTE: The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will also be honored during halftime of the Cougar men’s contest with their NJCAA national championship rings.

                The Cougar volleyball team captured their second national title in four years in November with a five-set win against San Jacinto College. Each player and coach will be presented with their national championship ring along with comments. The team will then be available for autographs after the presentation.

WNCC men top North Platte, get No. 2 seed from East Sub-region

                NORTH PLATTE – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team sewed up the No. 2 seed from the East Sub-region with a hard-fought contest against North Platte Community College 79-74 in a game that featured plenty of scoring highlights.

                The Cougars, in gaining their 16^th win of the season, received a 34-point performance from Hauns Brereton. Brereton has now scored 10 or more points in 12 straight games, which is tied for 6^th on the all-time charts for scoring in double figures. Brereton is now tied for second in scoring in double figures in a season with 23 games, along with David Speed (1975-76) and Terry Yancey (1984-85). Eric Gore holds the record with 29 double figure games in a season.

                WNCC also received two double-doubles. Marko Kovacevic had 18 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, while Raul Delgado had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Delgado also hit a clutch late second-quarter NBA 3-pointer as the shot clock buzzer was going off.

                WNCC coach Russ Beck said that they played well for 33 minutes and did the things they needed to do to get the second seed.

                “We did a really good job in a situation where we really wanted to get the number two seed at the regional tournament,” Beck said. “We knew North Platte was going to come out and play really hard. We had a couple of guys come out and have big games. Marko had 18 points and 18 rebounds, which was huge. Hauns had 34 points and Raul had 18.

                “We were focused. We really wanted to put the McCook game behind us. We wanted to come out and take care of business. I was pleased with our effort. We played a solid 33 minute game and we had our times. We haven’t put together a full 40-minute game yet, but I am just glad that we got the win.”

                WNCC skipped out to a 37-31 halftime lead and pushed the lead to their biggest margin of the game at 48-33 as they went on an 11-2 run to open the second half. The Cougars kept it close to double figures much of the second half even though North Platte bombarded the gym with a school-record 16 3-pointers.

                While North Platte was 16 of 37 from the 3-point arc, WNCC was a little more particular instead of launching long balls. Beck said they work on 3-point shooting all the time in practice.

                “Fortunately, we spend a lot of time in the gym shooting 3-pointers and working with the guys individually,” he said. “I think it is paying off. We were in the game and were six of 13 from the 3-point line.”

                The Cougars, 16-13, will wrap up the regular season on Saturday when they host Northeastern Junior College at 2 p.m. It will also be the last game for the two sophomores – Joe Stock and Hauns Brereton.

                Beck said they need to come out ready to play as they face another rivalry game on Saturday.

                “We played EWC and were able to take care of business with them at home and away. We then played Casper and we got them at home, and now we have NJC. We want to beat the big three rivals at home. There is big tradition between WNCC and NJC. We just want to come out and be focused and play our game, and play with a lot of effort.”

                After Saturday, the Cougars will get ready for the Region IX tournament, which begins March 4 in Norfolk. The Cougars first game will be March 5 at 1 p.m. against the Central No. 3 seed Gillette College.

WNCC (16-13)                    37 42 – 79

North Platte (14-14)       31 43 – 74