WNCC men fall to NJC

               STERLING, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College played flat in suffering a 75-62 defeat to Northeastern Junior College Tuesday at Sterling, Colo.

               The Cougars, who registered a big win against Casper College on Saturday, was battling from behind in the game against the Plainsmen. NJC led at halftime 35-27. NJC led by as much as 15 points midway in the second half, 61-46.

               The Cougar cut the deficit to 10 points at one stretch, but couldn't get anything closer in dropping the South Sub-Region contest.

               "We came out flat and played flat for 35 minutes," WNCC coach Russ Beck said. "We did not communicate on defense and we turned the ball over way too much on offense. Until we can show up defensively every game we will not win consistently. Right now we win when we shoot well and lose when we don't"

               The Cougars were led in scoring by Charles Ward with 18 points followed by Quante Cooley with 10 points. Sebastian Suarez also chipped in nine points, while Zach Clemens had seven points.

               WNCC (105, 8-12) will be back in action Thursday when they travel to face Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo., in another sub-region contest. They will then head to North Platte on Saturday to face sub-region leading North Platte Community College on Saturday. North Platte defeated McCook Community College 63-47 Tuesday night.

               WNCC will then return home to face Lamar Community College and Northeastern Junior College on Feb. 8 and 9.

WNCC                  27 35 -- 62

NE Colorado       35 40 -- 75

WNCC

Tahir Little 6, Zach Clemens 7, Quante Cooley 10, Charles Ward 18, Sebastian Suarez 9, Cody Johnson 5, Youssoupha Kane 4, Chad Calcaterra 2.

WNCC women run past NJC 85-45

               STERLING, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team buried 12 3-pointers in staying unbeaten in South Sub-Region play with a commanding 85-45 win over Northeastern Junior College Tuesday in Sterling, Colo.

               Mikayla Brower led the way for the Cougars, popping in 23 points. The Torrington High graduate sizzled from the 3-point arc, nailing five of six 3-pointers.

               Brower was just one of many Cougars that had the hot hand from long range. Kelsey Doddridge sank three 3-pointers to finish with 13 points, while Gritt Ryder, Laurin Rivera Simone Evans, and Shalisa Moffit each had one trey.

               Ryder finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals in the game.

               Brower said the team played well both offensively and defensively on the night.

               "We played like we have been, like we played in the first semester," she said. "We went back to playing as a team and the way we know how to play."

               The team's shooting was definitely on and Brower said that fine shooting is contributed by extra work in the gym.

               "We have been going in the gym and shooting and I think that is showing," she said. "It really helps us to get in the gym because it helps us confidence."

               Defense was what really set the stage for the Cougars in the win. WNCC trailed early at 9-2, but went on a 13-2 run to lead 15-11 and never trailed again. The Cougars took a 41-27 lead at halftime.

               In the second half, the Cougars were even more intense on defense, holding NJC to just 18 second-half points, including an early 8-0 run to go up by 20 points, 49-29 on a Brower 3-pointer.

               Later, the Cougars went on a 14-0 run to lead by 31 points at 78-37 as Ryder had five straight points with Moffit capping the run with a 3-pointer.

               Brower said the defense was key tonight.

               "He told us to be a strong defense and play solid," she said. "We helped each other out, got our hands up, and that is what it took."

               WNCC moved to 6-0 in the South Sub-Region and have won 10 straight since having to forfeit games first semester. Still, the Cougars are winning through all the adversity they have faced. Brower said that is the mark of a good team.

               "It really doesn't matter how tall you are; it is how passionate that you play," Brower said. "Right know we playing as one heart and doing well. It is really showing."

               WNCC will next be in action on Feb. 8-9 when they host Lamar Community College and Northeastern Junior College in sub-region tilts.

WNCC                  41 44 -- 85

NE Colorado       27 18 -- 45

WNCC

Ashley Stevens 7, Kelsey Doddridge 13, Mikayla Brower 23, Gritt Ryder 15, Laurin Rivera 6, Katie Kerkhoff 4, Jessica Aratani 2, Shalisa Moffit 8, Maurissa Ortega 2, Simone Evans 3, Michelle Brassard 2.

WNCC women top Casper on the road

CASPER, Wyo. – Gritt Ryder scored 25 points and the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team used another stellar defensive effort in posting a 56-50 win over Casper College Saturday afternoon in Casper, Wyo.
               Ryder said that this was a huge win for the team as they battled tooth and nail in getting the win.
               “This win was huge for us,” the sophomore from Denmark said. “We knew Casper wanted to do everything that they could do to beat us.”
               Defense definitely played a huge part in the Cougars win over the Thunderbirds. Casper led just once in the game at 38-35 after a string of technical foul shots gave them the lead. The lead was short lived as Laurin Rivera nailed a 3-pointer and Jessica Aratani had an old-fashioned 3-point play and the Cougars were back in front to stay.
               “Our defense was really good,” Ryder said. “It was important for us to get a good start and we did pretty good. Then, when they made the run with the technicals, we were like this cannot run out from underneath of us. So, we stayed together as a team and did our normal business and pulled out the win.”
               A big key for the Cougars was making runs and stopping the Thunderbirds in putting together six or more point runs. WNCC led 11-2 to start the contest on eight points by Ryder. Casper came back to tie the game at 15-15 but the Cougars came back as Kelsey Doddridge and Ryder each buried 3-pointers. WNCC led 30-22 at halftime.
               The second half saw Casper come back to take a 38-36 lead on four technical foul shots. WNCC then led by 49-42 on an Ashley Stevens bucket. Casper fought back, slicing the lead to 52-50 before Ryder hit a jumper from the free throw line with 35 seconds to play and then sealed the win with two free throws with 22 seconds to play.
               Ryder said this team continues rolling along and wouldn’t trade this team for anything.
               “We find ways to win and I just love this team,” she said. “We have such good chemistry on the team and on the court. We know what it takes to work hard because Coach [Dave] Harnish preaches about that every day in practice.”

The Cougars had just two players in double figures. Ryder led all scorers with 25 points, seven rebounds and eight steals. Aratani pitched in 13 points, followed by Stevens and Rivera each with five points.

               The Cougars will return to action on Tuesday when they face Northeastern Junior College at Sterling, Colo., in a South Sub-Region contest. After that, WNCC will be off until Feb. 8 when they host Lamar Community College.

WNCC                  30 26 – 56
Casper                  22 28 – 50
WNCC
Mikayla Brower 2, Kelsey Doddridge 4, Gritt Ryder 25, Ashley Stevens 5, Jessica Aratani 13, Laurin Rivera 5, Katie Kerkhoff 2.

WNCC men upend Casper on the road

CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a huge win in playing from start to finish in topping Casper College 88-81 win during homecoming festivities at Casper College Saturday evening.
               The Cougar men, who had a depleted bench because of illness and suited up just 10 players, received 28 points from Charles Ward and converted 24 of 36 second half free throws in picking up the 88-81 win.
               WNCC coach Russ beck was pleased with the way his team played.
               “It was a great win for the Cougars,” Beck said. “I am so proud of how they have responded and the roster changes we have had to deal with. We will keep working hard and get better every game. It is very hard to go into a place like Casper and win. We were without Cody Johnson and Youssoupha Kane because of sickness but we were a family tonight.
               “We played through mistakes. We played through the refs fouling out five of our 10 players and we just simply found a way to win. All 10 of our Cougars stepped in and did their job. We need to keep working hard on our defense and keep getting better every day.”
               The men’s win was historic especially after Casper defeated the Cougar men 86-74 back in November. WNCC took the lead midway through the first half and never trailed again. Casper held a 15-13 lead before Ward and Rich Williams drained back-to-back 3-pointers for a 19-15 lead. WNCC pushed the first half lead to as much as 13 points, 37-24 lead on a Trey Moore 3-pointer. WNCC led 41-31 at halftime.
               The men opened up the second half with eight straight points to lead 49-31. Casper came clawing back, cutting the lead to 62-58. WNCC didn’t fade as they responded with a 7-0 run to go up 69-58. WNCC continued sizzling as Williams buried another 3-pointer to put the Cougars up 77-64 with four minutes to play.
               Casper did cut the lead to five late at 82-77, but WNCC nailed clutch free throws down the stretch for the win.
               Free throw shooting definitely played a part. WNCC was just 1 of 2 from the line in the first half and then attempted 36 second half free throws, canning 24. WNCC also shot 51 percent from the field while Casper shot around 31 percent.
               Casper also didn’t connect on their free throws as they were 3 of 8 in the first half and 20 of 39 for the game.
               Another big key for the Cougars was WNCC's bench outscored Casper 37-14.         
               WNCC had four players in double figures, led by Ward with 28 points. Tahir Little pitched I 14 points with eight assists, while Williams had 13 points and four 3-pointers. Zach Clemens had had a good day, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds.
               Also for the Cougars, Chad Calcaterra had five points and nine rebounds.
               The Cougar men will return to action Tuesday when they travel to Sterling, Colo., to face Northeastern Junior College in a South Sub-Region contest.

WNCC                  41 47 – 88
Casper                  31 50 – 81
WNCC
Tahir Little 14, Quante Cooley 4, Charles Ward 28, Chad Calcaterra 5, Zach Clemens 10, Rich Williams 13, Doudou Gueye 2, Sebastian Suarez 5, Trey Moore 7.

WNCC baseball team will hold a pitching league beginning in February

                The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team will hold a winter pitching league for baseball players ages 10-18 beginning next month.

                The pitching league will be held on Monday nights for five weeks beginning Feb. 18 and running through March 25. The times for the pitching league will be 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. The cost is $50 per individual with two players per team. There is a limit of 24 teams.

                The pitching league will be held at the WNCC indoor baseball facility located at Comm Shop #6 at 1209 2^nd Avenue in Scottsbluff.

                For more information, contact WNCC baseball coach Mike Jones at 308-635-6198 or jonesm@wncc.edu. Registration forms are available at the WNCC athletic website located at wncc.edu.

WNCC women remain unbeaten in sub-region play with win over EWC

Gritt Ryder had a douible double and the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team converted 33 of 51 free throws in staying unbeaten in the South Sub-Region with a 69-52 win over Eastern Wyoming College Tuesday night at Cougar Palace.
                Ryder poured in 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, but it was her sizzling free throw shooting that was evident. Ryder converted 11 of 14 free throws. Ashley Stevens also had another top night, finishing with 18 points.
                The win moved the Cougars to 5-0 in the sub-region while Eastern Wyoming falls to 4-3. The winner of the sub-region hosts the regional tournament in March.
                But, more importantly, what helped the Cougars was their sizzling shooting from the charity stripe especially in the first half. The Cougars ran out to a 29-19 halftime lead thanks to connecting on 17 of 25 free throws.
                Shalisa Moffit, who had a near double-double on the night of nine points and seven rebounds, said they executed well and made their free throws.
                “As a team, we had more heart and rebounded well,” Moffit said. “It was pretty physical out there and there was a lot of fouling. The free throw shooting was a huge factor.”
                To say the least free throws and fouls made a difference in the game. The two teams combined for 48 fouls and 48 of 81 shooting.  Field goal shooting also played a part in the contest. The Cougars shot just 20 percent in the first half and 29 percent for the game.
                The Lancers were 28 percent in the first half and 30 percent for the game. EWC also connected on five 3-pointers, while WNCC had just two both coming with under four minutes to play in the game.
                Just like Moffit said, rebounding also played a big factor in the Cougars’ win. WNCC out-rebounded the Lancers 53-42. Ryder led the way with 12 boards followed by Moffit and Ashley Stevens with seven each.
                Eastern Wyoming, however, hung tough with the Cougars and actually held an 18-13 lead after a bucket by Jeileen Mas with about four minutes to play in the opening half. The Cougars came back and out-scored the Lancers 16-1 over the final four minutes and most of the damage was down at the free throw line where they went 11 of 12 during that stretch before Ashley Stevens hit the teams’ first field goal in over four minutes. WNCC led 29-19 at halftime.
                The second half saw the Cougars jump out to a 43-27 lead before Eastern Wyoming ran off eight straight to cut the deficit to 43-35 with 10 minutes to play. WNCC came back and went on an 18-6 run to grab a 61-41 lead on a Moffit 3-pointer. Moffit’s trey with five minutes to play was the Cougars’ first of the game.
                WNCC put just two in double figures, led by Ryder’s 24 points. Stevens also finished with 18 points. Ryder had just six points at intermission – all free throws, while Stevens had 12 points in the first half.
                The Lancers were led by Brittany Cross with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. Hazel Doe and Brittani Colberg each nine points.
                WNCC, who won its eighth straight, will be back in action Saturday when they travel to Casper College. The Lancers will be back in action Saturday when they travel to face Northwest Kansas Technical College.

EWC                       19 33 – 52
WNCC                   29 40 – 69
EASTERN WYOMING
Hazel Doe 9, Brittani Colberg 9, Jeileen Mas 4, Courtney Peterson 4, Jai Chandler 8, Megan Crenshaw 5, JaiDah Richardson 3, Brittany Cross 10
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Mikayla Brower 5, Laurin Rivera 2, Kelsey Doddridge 7, Gritt Ryder 24, Shalisa Moffit 9, Ashley Stevens 18, Jessica Aratani 4.

WNCC falls to EWC on Tuesday

  The Eastern Wyoming College men’s basketball team outscored Western Nebraska Community College 26-9 over the last eight minutes of the game in picking up a crucial South Sub-Region road victory 82-73 Tuesday night at Cougar Palace.
                The Lancers, in posting the win, bounced back from Saturday’s 3-point loss to Trinidad State in dramatic fashion.
                “We talked about the game and a lot of the kids didn’t really know, until they got over here, what the atmosphere is like, and they realize, ‘we are in a rivalry game,” EWC coach Casey Jones said. “The way we took it on the business end of things is we just dropped a game that we shouldn’t have lost against Trinidad State at home, so we said we need to get a game back on the road and get the next one, which was Western Nebraska.”
                Jones told his team to be ready in the Highway 26 rivalry game and his team rose to the challenge.
                “I told them separately that you will be challenged, have fun, and enjoy the heck out of the rivalry because not a lot of schools have this kind of rivalry in junior college. I said enjoy it, but we need the road win.”
                Jones said that his team had to battle from behind almost the whole game.
                “I felt like we played from behind the whole game,” he said. “Then we got a little bit of a lead and then we had to fight to stay in the game. I am just super proud because of all the emotion and that we responded by gutting it out and getting the win.”
                The Lancers, who trailed much of the game, kept fighting hard in securing the win. EWC put four player players in double figures, led by 20 points from Jordan Doss, 18 points from Jarron Jackson-Wilson, 14 points from Ryan Wilson, and 10 points from Slade Spoonhunter.
                The Cougars, who were on the brink of capturing their second win, had three players in double figures. Quante Cooley had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Charles Ward finished with 16 points and Sebastian Suarez had 15 points.
                A big key in the win for the Lancers was rebounding, where they out-rebounded WNCC 51-39. The other thing that helped the Lancers to the win was a tight defense that forced a number of Cougar turnovers, especially during crucial times down the stretch.
                EWC led early 14-13 before WNCC made a run to go up by nine points 25-16 on a Rich Williams 3-pointer. WNCC kept playing well in the first half, leading 31-22 before the Lancers made a comeback on back-to-back 3-pointers by Doss and Spoonhunter to trail 35-34 at halftime.
                The second half saw WNCC take a 56-49 lead after Ward got a tip in off a missed free throw. EWC came back to tie the game at 56 on a bucket by Andre Norris at 56-56. The Cougars fought back to con on an 8-0 run that was highlighted by a 3-pointer by Trey Moore for a 64-56 lead.
                The Lancers fought back to take their first lead since early in the first half at 68-66 on a 3-pointer by Ryan Wilson with 4:32 to play, WNCC cane back to tie the game at 70-70 on a Suarez 3-pointer, but the Lancers went on a 7-0 run that was highlighted by five points from Jackson-Wilson, including a dunk to seal the win.
                WNCC will be back in action Saturday when they travel to Casper College, while the Lancers host Northwest Kansas Technical College on Friday.

EWC                       34 48 – 82
WNCC                   35 38 – 73
EASTERN WYOMING
Jason McClellan 4, Jordan Dick 2, Prescott Williams 8, Jordan Doss 20, Ryan Wilson 14, Jarron Jackson-Wilson 18, Slade Spoonhunter 10, Andre Norris 2, LaDarius Milton 2, Joel Nyembo 2.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Tahir Little 7, Zach Clemens 2, Quante Cooley 14, Rich Williams 3, Trey Moore 3, Charles Ward 16, Sebastian Suarez 15, Cody Johnson 7, Chad Calcaterra 5.

WNCC women topple Otero Junior College

[1-19-2013] Ashley Stevens finished with a double-double and the Western Nebraska Community College
women’s basketball team used a stingy defense in picking up a South Sub-Region win over Otero Junior
College 68-35 Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace.

Stevens was one of many outstanding players on the day. Her 12 points, 12 rebounds included
two 3-pointers on the day. In fact, the Cougars connected on 10 treys altogether, led by Shalisa Moffit
with three 3-pointers. Gritt Ryder popped in two treys, while Mikayla Brower, Laurin Rivera and Jessica
Aratani each buried one.

“The teams will not know who is on that night,” Stevens said. “It is like a weapon for us because
anybody can step up and hit that 3-pointer.”

While the offense was highlighted by outstanding 3-pointer shooting, what really defined the
win was the team’s defense. Saturday, the Cougars held Otero to just 28 percent shooting. The Cougars
also out-rebounded the Rattlers 45-34.

Stevens said the team played much better defense against Otero then they did Trinidad on
Friday night.

“After our defense last night [Friday] where we gave up too many points, we knew we had to
pick up our defense and play all-together,” the Bridgeport graduate said. “We played last night where
we weren’t moving and keeping the ball in front. Today we picked it up and kept everything in front of
us and played better as a team defensively.”

Stevens said the key to the Cougars stingy defense was communication.

“We had to talk a lot more today,” Stevens said. “Like on their back screens or even other
screens, you have to tell your teammates that they are coming so they don’t get blindsided. And when
you go trap, you have make sure the person doesn’t see us.”

More importantly, though, the win helped the Cougars remain perfect in the South Sub-Region
at 4-0 and they have a two game lead over the second place teams. The winner of the sub-region hosts
the Region IX tournament in March.

“We can’t let that [leading the region] get to our heads,” Stevens said. “We have to keep playing
has hard as we are right know. We have to keep stepping up to each level and to each new team that we
play. We play Eastern Wyoming on Tuesday and they have beat McCook and Otero, so we have to step
up and try to beat them, too. We have to take it one game at a time.”

The early part of the contest was a battle as both teams were knotted at 10-10. It was then the
Cougars would go on a 12-01 run, aided by back-to-back NBA-range 3-pointers by Moffit. The Cougars
also received six points from Rivera to take a 22-10 lead. WNCC didn’t let up as Stevens scored the last
seven points on the half to give the Cougars a 37-21 lead at intermission.

The second half was all WNCC thanks to one of the top defenses in the nation. WNCC, leading
42-24, came back and buried five straight 3-pointers. Ryder started things and then Moffit, Brower,
Rivera and Aratani each hit a 20-footer to put WNCC up 59-29 and never looked back.

The Cougars had solid scoring with three players in double figures. Aratani led the way with 13
points while also pulling down six rebounds. Stevens and Ryder each finished with 12 points, followed by
Rivera and Moffit with nine points each. Ryder also pulled down six rebounds and had six assists.

Otero didn’t have anyone in double figures. Holly Carter led the team with nine points.

WNCC, 4-0 in sub-region play, will look to stay unbeaten when they host Eastern Wyoming
College on Tuesday beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Otero
21 14 – 35
WNCC
37 31 – 68
OTERO
Meredith Barnes 2, Holly Carter 9, Siutin Loamanu 5, Brittany Gutierrez 5, Chelby Santiago 4, Danica
Dhipley 8, Chantal Cross 2.

WNCC
Mikayla Brower 6, Laurin Rivera 9, Kelsey Doddridge 1, Gritt Ryder 12, Shalisa Moffit 9, Simone Evans 4,
Ashley Stevens 12, Jessica Aratani 13, Jenna Lindquist 2.

WNCC men fall in overtime to Otero

 [1-19-2013] The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team lost another heartbreaker Saturday afternoon, falling to Otero Junior College 100-93 in overtime at Cougar Palace.
                It was the teams’ fourth overtime loss in the last eight games. Trey Moore, who finished with nine points and eight assists, said the team competed hard to tie the game at 82-82 to force overtime, but they just need to learn to finish.
                “We played hard but it is our fourth overtime loss and I was pretty sure that we would have won one sometime,” Moore said. “It was big of us to come back, but we have to finish the game. “
                The way the Cougars came back to force overtime was thrilling. The Cougars didn’t take their first lead of the contest until the 13:14 mark of the second half on a Charles Ward bucket. The Cougars were then down by as much as five points on different occasions with a minute to play when things started to turn their way.
                Ward was the catalyst of the comeback as he hit a 3-pointer off an inbounds play to slice the lead to 80-78. Moments later, Ward stole the ball and dunked home the tying bucket. Otero came back and went ahead 82-80 with 21.3 seconds to play on two free throws by Yoshio Allen. WNCC answered as Tahir Little found a small gap underneath the bucket with 9.4 seconds to play to tie the game at 82-82.
                Otero had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but the Cougars came through with two blocks to force the extra period.
                Moore said the way the team came back, never giving up after the Rattlers opened the game with five straight 3-pointers, shows a lot of heart with this team.
                “Those blocks were a big momentum changer because they still had time so we couldn’t celebrate after Ty made that shot. We got back and got the stop and send it into overtime,” Moore said. “We just need to get over that hump and come together as a team and make some shots in overtime.”
                The Cougars were led in scoring by Ward with 37 points. Ward was 10 of 11 from the field, including four 3-pointers. WNCC also saw Quante Cooley finish with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Cody Johnson has 12 points.
                The Cougars did out-rebound the Rattlers 40-39 and also dished out 26 assists. Little led the team in assists with nine followed by Moore with eight.
                The sub-region heart-breaking loss drops the team to 1-3 in the south sub-region, but they still are not out of a top finish for the regional tournament as they have plenty of sub-region games left.
                “We still can win sub-regions with three losses, so we have to take it one game at a time,” Moore said. “We have to just get over that hump, dig deep and just keep going. We battled the whole game out there today, but we just have to finish games.”
                Still, it is vital that that Cougars learn to close out a game. Look at it this way, if the Cougars would have won the four overtime games, their 7-10 record would be 11-6. On top of everything, the road doesn’t get any easier as they host Eastern Wyoming on Tuesday in another sub-region contest.
                “We will get rested up with our Sunday break and then come back Monday, practice hard and prepare for them,” Moore said. “We don’t want another loss at home.”
                Tuesday’s home contest begins at 7:30 p.m. and after that, the Cougars won’t be home again until Feb. 8-9 against Lamar Community College and Northeastern Junior College.

Otero                    41 41 18 –100
WNCC                   36 46 11 – 93
OTERO
Chris Golden 17, Perryonte Smith 13, Kentwan Smith 17, Terrel Brown 10, Andre Reider 15, Alex Padgett 6, Yoshio Allen 20, Daniel Hield 2.
WNCC
Tahir Little 7, Zach Clemens 4, Quante Cooley 16, Trey Moore 9, Charles Ward 37, Cody Johnson 12, Youssoupha Kane 6, Chad Calcaterra 2.

WNCC men win against Trindiad State

[1-18-2013]  Quante Cooley had a double-double and the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put four in double figures in posting its first sub-region win with an 80-69 win over Trinidad State Junior College Friday night at Cougar Palace.                 The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Cougars. More importantly, the Cougars improved to 1-2 in sub-region play and they have a chance to vault into the middle of the sub-region standings with a win Saturday afternoon against Otero around 3 p.m. Otero fell to Eastern Wyoming on Friday 68-61.
                “I was happy of how we responded and we really rebounded the ball well tonight,” WNCC coach Russ Beck said. “We out-rebounded them 44-29, which is huge. For us in the first half, we shot the free throws great and in the second half we were 9 of 21 and we could have put this on the freezer early if we would have hit free throws. But it is hard to escape any game without something to work on.
                Cooley, in his first game of the second semester, came off the bench to finish with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the contest. Charles Ward led all scorers with 22 points. Ward also pulled down eight rebounds.
                Also hitting double digits were Youssoupha Kane with 11 points and Trey Moore with 10 points.
                The Cougars energy level was also pretty high in the contest as the players were diving for balls. A lot of that was because of an energetic crowd.
                “I thought the crowd was great. We had a good crowd,” Beck said. “They were able to feed on some good plays. Another huge thing for us is that we had 24 assists. We had it balanced tonight with a lot of people scoring for us tonight.”
                Another big reason for the Cougars win was their play of not allowing too many scoring runs. Up until a 13-0 run late in the second half by the Trojans, the Cougars held Trinidad’s runs at bay, giving them just two 4-0 runs.
                The other thing that stood out for the Cougars was thescoring runs of their own. Trinidad held an early 15-13 lead before the Cougars went on a 10-0 run to go up 23-15. WNCC would never trail again after that run as they went on to lead 36-29 at halftime.
                WNCC continued excelling in the second half as they pushed the lead to double digits at 46-35 and then went on a 9-0 run to lead by 20, 55-35 on back-to-back buckets by Kane. WNCC led 6-243 with 8:14 to play on a Zach Clemens drive to the bucket before Trinidad went on the 13-0 run to cut the lead to 62-56.
                The Cougars went back up by double digits on a Moore 3-pointer and the Cougars never allowed Trinidad to cut the lead to single digits the rest of the game.
                Beck said what was huge for this team was rebounding. WNCC out-rebounded the Trojans 44-29, led by Cooley’s 11 boards. Another big difference was the Cougars ability to share the ball, dishing out 24 assists. Moore led the way with five assists followed by Cooley and Ward with four each.
                WNCC, 7-9, will look to go 2-2 in sub-region play when they face Otero. Beck said Otero will be a stiff challenge.
                “Not to take anything away from Trinidad, but we will have a dogfight tomorrow [Saturday] when we play Otero,” Beck said. “They have a lot of size and they have some athleticism. It is a different team than the Otero team they had last year, but Houston Reed really does a good job. They will come in playing really, really hard.
 Trinidad (10-7)                  29 40 – 69
WNCC (7-9)                        36 44 – 80
TRINIDAD
Kendall Godley 10, Tre’von Wilkerson 12, Devonte Upson 14, Devonte Malcolm 19, Tyrell Taylor 5, Richard McCalop 5, Jamelle Corbino 2, Michael Lehnerz 2.
WNCC
Tahir Little 5, Zach Clemens 6, Quante Cooley 12, Rich Williams 3, Trey Moore 10, Doudou Gueye 2. Charles Ward 22, Cody Johnson 7, Youssoupha Kane 11, Chad Calcaterra 2.