WNCC men, women topple Northeast Nebraska

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team led from start to finish in securing the No. 2 seed from the East Sub-region with an impressive 81-52 win over Northeast Community College Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace.

While the men breezed to their 14^th win of the season, the Cougar women had a bit tougher contest, earning a 56-54 win over Northeast Community College.

WNCC men’s coach Brian Joyce said his team’s first half play was the difference.

“Defensively, we played as well as we have. We came out and had a lot of juice and a lot of energy,” he said. “We were really disciplined with our rotations, keeping the ball in front of us. We made it difficult for them to make shots.”

The Cougars definitely were in control of the game from the get-go, and it was the play of 6-foot-11 Deivides Busma early that paved the way. The big man scored eight of the team’s first 11 points for an 11-4 lead.

Northeast did, however, fight back in slicing the Cougar lead to 16-14 on a turnaround 3-pointer by Justin Heng with 10 minutes to play in the opening half. WNCC’s Kelvin Franklin wasted little time as he came back and trilled a 3-pointer of his own. The Cougars then went on a 25-4 run to take a 41-20 lead into the locker room.

Northeast couldn’t get closer then 18 points in the second half, giving WNCC the win.

WNCC placed three players in double figures. Franklin led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds. Busma also collected a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Smith finished with 10 points and seven assists.

The big statistic for the Cougars came on the rebounding end, outboarding the Hawks 58-36. WNCC also out shot Northeast 49 percent from the field to 28 percent.

“I thought it was a real team effort. I thought our guys got after it. We shared the ball and we played very, very unselfish. It is nice to see that at the end of the year,” Joyce said. “We have been getting better. It is just sometimes you are not rewarded when you get better with a win. Right now our margin of error is really small, so it was good for our guys to work hard and be awarded for it.”

While the Cougar men breezed to an easy win, the Cougar women were in a dog-fight. WNCC held a 56-50 lead with 2:06 to play on a Chelsea Lyles 3-pointer. But the Cougars couldn’t put the Hawks away as they sliced the lead to two points on two free throws by Jennifer Heiler with just under a minute to play.

WNCC then missed a 3-pointer attempt with 23 seconds to play. Northeast brought the ball down only to be whistled for an offensive foul with 9.3 second left.

The Cougars couldn’t salt away the win as they missed a free throw with 8.2 seconds. That was when freshman Jenna Colwell saved the game for the Cougars, stealing the to give the Cougars their 23^rd win of the season.

WNCC women’s coach Dave Harnish said they were lucky to get the win. He was also scratching his head for clues of why his team turned in the performance they did after a big win over Casper on Tuesday.

“This win is really disappointing because I thought the last couple of weeks we were playing well. The intensity level has been there and the defense has been there,” Harnish said. “We made a lot of mistakes defensively tonight. We are very fortunate to come away with a win. . Once again, it came down to why from the big win in Casper where we were very sound and focused and we didn’t do that today. It almost caught us.”

WNCC’s Emma Beddome was the big gun for the Cougars, scoring 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Beddome also had five rebounds and two steals.

The other key to the win was the Cougars depth. WNCC’s bench outscored the Hawks 25-12 on the night, led by Carly Glisan and Shaquilah Davis with eight points each. Gilsan also had two treys on the night.

The Cougar men will be back in action Monday night when they host North Platte at 7:30 p.m.

Northeast 31 23 — 54
WNCC (23-4) 35 21 — 56
NOTHEAST
Jasmine Lovejoy 14, Mairead McNally 9, Elisha Foley 2, Alexis Hubriger 6, Deja Watson 13, Brittany Reeg 2, Raelene Buschow 1, Jennifer Heiler 4, Whitley Smiley 3.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Dana Iverson 6, Emma Beddome 16, SeLina Ysac 6, Shaquilah Davis 8, Tawny Drexler 2, Jenna Colwell 3, Chelsea Lyles 7, Carly Iverson 8.

Northeast 20 32 — 52
WNCC (14-12) 41 40 — 81
NORTHEAST
DeAndre Jones 8, Justin Heng 5, Robert Pogue 15, Denykco Bowles 4, Colten Delong 2, Jason Snow 10, Oneil Mangal 2, Brett Shively 4, Archie Boyd 2.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Jamie Eisinger 8, Daniel Smith 10, Oscar Cartwright 6, Kelvin Franklin 19, Lloyd Hickinson 8, Drew Eisinger 3, Deividas Busma 15, Chris Hamblin 5, Doradji Wilson 1, Devin West 4, Terrell Price 2.

WNCC baseball, softball weekend games postponed until Monday and Tuesday

The Western Nebraska Community College baseball and softball teams had their weekend games in Kansas postponed.

The Cougar baseball were suppose to open up Saturday at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. Instead, the defending IX champs will open their season Monday at Seward County Community College. The team will then face Barton County on Monday.

The softball team, 4-3 on the season, will face Dodge City Community College and Garden City Community College on Monday and Tuesday. They were scheduled to play the Kansas schools on Saturday and Sunday.

WNCC women defeat Casper by holding the T-birds to 36 points, Cougar men fall 77-68 after holding 10-point first-half lead

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team continues to play well defensively, and Tuesday night they just that holding Casper to just 36 points in posting a 57-36 win on the road.

The men, however, couldn’t hold on to a 10-point first half lead in falling to the T-bird men 77-68. It was the men’s fifth loss in the last six games.

The women, on the other hand, have held its opponents to under 40 points in three of the last four games, and even then, the other game was a 77-44 win over McCook Community College. Tuesday’s game ties the lowest offensive output by a Casper team against WNCC when the Cougars held Casper to 36 points in the 2005 regional tourney championship game.

Assistant coach Jennifer Pedersen said this is the best team has played all year.

“Tonight’s game was the best that we have played all year,” she said. “We were down three starters with Alison [Cheney] home sick, Chelsea [Lyles] home for a family emergency and Tawny [Drexler] going down early in the first half with an injury. Defensively, we played a stellar game and we got good play from a lot of different people.”

Pedersen said what makes this win huge is the fact they rarely win at Casper, including falling int he Region IX championship game last year.

“We have only won three games in the last 20 games at Casper, so this win is a good accomplishment,” she said. “They are playing right like the way we want them to.”

Tuesday’s game was a total Cougar domination as they led from start to finish and used a good combination of inside and outside shooting in posting the win.

The Cougars placed just two players in double figures, led by Dana Iverson with 15 points including three 3-pointers. Also collecting double digits was Jenna Colwell with 11 points.

WNCC out-rebounded Casper by 20, 42-22. Iverson paced the team with nine rebounds followed by Colwell with eight and Shaquilah Davis with six.

WNCC ran out to an 18-9 lead on a Iverson trey and then widened the lead to 23-12 with just over three minutes to play on another Iverson 3-pointer. WNCC led 25-18 at halftime.

The Cougars continued playing well as Iverson canned her third 3-pointer on the night to open the second quarter. WNCC then practically salted away the win when Carly Glisan nailed a long-range 3-pointer with time running down on the shot clock for a 42-29 lead.

WNCC’s defensive pressure limited Casper to just 29 percent shooting.

While the Cougar women were dominating, the Cougar men had a much tougher contest against the T-bird men. WNCC held a 10-point lead for much of the first half, including a 38-28 lead late on a Daniel Smith bucket. Casper, though, came storming back slicing the halftime lead to 38-35.

WNCC coach Brian Joyce said his team played well for most of the first half, despite being short-handed.

“We played really well for the first 16 minutes of the game,” he said. “Then, we started to do things individually and got away from playing as a team.”

The second half was a blood bath with the teams trading leads left and right. WNCC led late, 60-57 on a Lloyd Hickinson bucket, but Casper came storming back going on a 20-8 run to claim the win.

Still, Joyce said they had plenty of opportunities to win the game.

“With four minutes to play we still were in the game and we came done and made some mistakes,” he said. “We should have played better and we should have won.”

The difference in the game was shooting. Casper’s Jeremiah Wilson finished the night with 26 points, including going 6-of-7 from the 3-point line. The T-birds finished the game nailing 11-of-17 3-pointers for the game (64 percent), while the Cougars were a dismal 7-of-26 or 26 percent.

The Cougars had four players in double figures. Oscar Cartwright and Kelvin Franklin paced the team with 17 points each. Daniel Smith also chipped in 14 points followed by Deividas Busma with 10 points.

Both Cougar teams will be back in action Saturday afternoon when they host Northeast (Neb.) Community College in sub-region action. The women’s game tips off at 1 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 3 p.m.

Women’s Game
Casper 18 18 – 36
WNCC 25 32 – 57
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Dana Iverson 15, Emma Beddome 2, SeLina Ysac 5, Jenna Colwell 11, Tawny Drexler 4, Michelle Lighthall 3, Carly Glisan 9, Shaquilah Davis 6, Eli Cosme-Gonzalez 2.

Men’s Game
Casper 35 42 – 77
WNCC 38 30 – 68
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Daniel Smith 14, Oscar Cartwright 17, Kelvin Franklin 17, Lloyd Hickinson 8, Deividas Busma 10, Terrell Price 2.

Gering's Blomenkamp to play volleyball at WNCC

Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Chris Green went back to the high school he graduated from to land another volleyball player for next season.

And he didn’t have to go far – just over the river bridge – as Gering’s Brooke Blomenkamp has elected to play volleyball for the Cougars for the next two seasons.

Blomenkamp, who has been conditioning with the Cougars in the evening, said it wasn’t a difficult choice at all to attend WNCC.

“Playing here was pretty much always in my mind. I didn’t want to go too far off,” she said. “It really wasn’t a hard decision.”

The decision to come to WNCC was made easy since Blomenkamp has been watching the Cougars since she was a youngster. Plus, playing for a national championship team added some enticement.

“I have always watched them play because my dad [Neal] has always taken me to the games. I have always been a big fan,” she said. “There will be some pressure playing here, but I think it will be a lot of fun.”

Blomenkamp will be joining her high school teammate Whitney Roth next year on the Cougars. Roth signed on to be a Cougar back in November. Blomenkamp is looking forward to improving her volleyball skills under Green, a AVCA regional coach of the year.

“I hope this makes me better so I can go to a bigger school to play. It will also keep me in shape for later years,” she said. “I am real excited to be starting a new chapter.”

Gering finished last season with an 18-10 record, including an 11-1 start, which included wins against Scottsbluff, Gordon-Rushville and North Platte.

Blomenkamp was played varsity three years for the Bulldogs, and it was her junior year that the 5-8 hitter shined the most.

“I leaped up a lot during my junior year, and during my senior year I kind of hit a plateau,” she said. “I hope to jump another level playing here.

Blomenkamp will be Green’s seventh Gering High school player on the squad. Green said recruiting locally is always a plus.

“It is always nice to have local players interested in WNCC,” he said. “To get them to play here always benefits our team and the local interest in our team.”

Green is looking at the left-handed Blomenkamp to play a right-side hitter position.

“She did very well for Gering High School and with some hard work and dedication, I think she has the athletic ability to succeed,” he said.

Blomenkamp also participated on the track and field team at Gering, but has decided to forgo that sport to concentrate on her volleyball skills.

“I think there are high expectations coming here, especially when you look at the level of play,” she said. “I think the talent will be good next year and I think we will stay up there.”

Green also has added four other recruits for next season. They include 5-8 outside hitter Lucy Ann Serrano of San Juan, Puerto Rico; 5-9 outside hitter/defensive specialist Cami Wiemer of Ft. Morgan, Colo., and 5-8 setter Naomi Flinders of Provo, Utah. The fourth is a transfer from Colby Community College, 6-1 Paloma Alvarez of Manati, Puerto Rico, who is enrolled at WNCC this semester.

WNCC softball team claims two games Saturday in final day of Odessa Tourney

ODESSA, Texas — The Western Nebraska Community College softball team found the long ball to their liking as the team hit three more home runs to push their season total to eight as the Cougars wrapped up the Odessa Tournament with two victories Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars blanked Howard College 9-0 in Saturday’s opener before earning a 7-5, 8-inning win against No. 22 Odessa College.

Freshman Kelsey Garner picked up both wins in the circle to help the No. 11 WNCC softball team to a 4-3 record after the opening weekend. Garner pitched a gem in game one, scattering three hits and striking out three.

In the second game, Garner came in relief of Natasha Dypchey and helped the Cougars to the extra-inning victory. Dypchey allowed six hits and four runs in 3 2/3 of work, while Garner allowed three hits and struck out five for her fourth win of the season.

“We played really good defense and our offense strung things together in the first game,” head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “In the second game, we stayed in the game and pulled out the win in extra innings.”

Against Howard, Amanda Hensley was the hitting star of game one, blasting two home runs to spark the Cougars offense. Hensley blasted a lead-off home run and then had another in an 8-run fifth inning. Hensley finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Lauren Bourdon also collected multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

The Cougars then found a way to win against the host school, Odessa. Alec Voci put the Cougars ahead with a 2-run, 2-inning home run. The Cougars went up 5-3 in the fourth as Hensley unleashed a 3-run double.

The teams were tied 5-5 after seven innings. In the extra frame and with international tie-breaker rules in affect, Jessie McNabb hit a run-scoring double, followed by Allie Griffin scoring a run on a fielder’s choice.

Voci paced the Cougars with a 2-for-3 performance, including a home run, single, two runs scored and two RBIs. McNabb also went 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and RBI, followed by Bourdon with a 2-for-4 game, including two runs scored and two singles.

WNCC will return to action this weekend when they travel to face Dodge City Community College and Garden City Community College.

First game
WNCC 100 08 — 9 10
Howard 000 00 — 0 3
WP — Garner; 2B — Bourdon; HR — Hensley 2.

Second game
WNCC (4-3) 020 300 02 — 7
Odessa 102 101 00 — 5
WP — Garner; 2B — Hensley, McNabb; HR – Voci.

WNCC women easily defeat Lamar Community College

Emma Beddome knew that Western Nebraska Community College's game against Lamar Community College on Saturday was a perfect chance for the Cougars to tune up for a big contest Tuesday against Casper College.

As it turned out, WNCC couldn't have asked for a much better performance, as Beddome and her teammates executed their game plan well while posting an 89-37 win.

"Actually, this game wasn't too bad," said the 6-foot Beddome, a sophomore from Melbourne, Australia. "We thought it was going to be a lot slower pace than what it was. Lamar came out and actually pushed the ball, which is good because we like to have a fast-paced game rather than a slow-paced game."

The Cougars dominated from start to finish in posting their 21st victory of the season. Beddome led all scorers with 15 points. She also dished out six assists and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

WNCC dished out 19 assists as a team and placed six players in double-figure scoring.

"In games like these, we just like to get the ball around so everyone can contribute to the game," Beddome said. "They weren't very tall, so we felt we could get it in every single time. That is what we did."

WNCC pounded the ball inside with authority. Post player Tawny Drexler finished the night with a double-double, collecting 14 points and 10 rebounds. Drexler even sizzled from the free-throw line, nailing 6 of 8.

Also collecting double digit scoring were Alison Cheney with 12 points and SeLina Ysac, Carly Glisan and Jenna Colwell with 10 points each.

The story of the day, though, was WNCC's pressure defense.

"When we start out in a full-court defense, we do really well," she said. "If we start in a half-court defense, we seem to have our troubles. So, it was good that we started out in full court."

WNCC led just 5-3 before the Cougars went on a 19-0 run to lead 24-3. Lamar's Alicia Smith stopped the run with just over 13 minutes left in the first half with a bucket.

WNCC, however, continued to stay in control and went up 44-18 at halftime. The Cougars opened the second half with a 14-0 run, capped by a Beddome bucket. At that point, it was 58-18 with 14:30 to play.

WNCC will look to keep its momentum going strong when it travels to Casper on Tuesday night. Beddome said the Cougars need to get focused for a team that defeated Northeastern Junior College 55-54 on Friday.

"They will be pumped to come out to play us. It will be a tough game. Casper is a tough place to play, especially with their crowd. We just need to focus and come out strong."
The men's basketball game that was originally scheduled for Saturday against North Platte Community College was moved to Monday, Feb. 18.

Lamar (2-21) 18 19 - 37
WNCC (21-4) 44 45 -89
LAMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Kathryn Clouser 6, Enid Sanchez 3, Christina Belone 2, Chelsea Choate 2, Donni Smith 3, Sarah Beshears 4, Alicia Smith 12, Artra Griffin 5.
WESTERN NEBRASKA C.C.
Dana Iverson 4, Emma Beddome 15, Michelle Lighthall 5, SeLina Ysac 10, Shaquilah Davis 7, Alison Cheney 12, Tawny Drexler 14, Jenna Colwell 10, Eli Cosme-Gonzalez 2, Carly Gliasn 10.

WNCC softball goes 1-2 in first day of Odessa Tournament

ODESSA, Texas — The Western Nebraska Community College softball team went 1-2 in the first day of the Odessa Tournament Friday.

The Cougars, who are pre-season ranked 11^th in the nation, opened with a 6-2 win over No. 30 Navarro College before suffering close set backs to No. 4 Midland College 5-3 and Western Texas State 4-3.

In the opener, the Cougars out-hit Navarro 10-2, and received two home runs. Allie Griffin slapped a two-run shot, while Amanda Hensley nailed a solo home run. It was both players’ second home run on the season.

WNCC’s Kelsey Garner picked up her second win of the season in the circle, scattering two hits while allowing two runs. She also struck out 10 batters.

The Cougars then fell to Midland College out of Texas 5-3 in a close battle. WNCC trailed 5-0 heading into the seventh inning before mounting a comeback. Hensley got things started with a single followed by a double by Lauren Bourdon. Both runners scored on a single by Garner. McNabb then slapped a single to score Garner for the final run.

Offensively, Jessie McNabb led the team with a 2-for-4 performance, while Lauren Bourdon went 1-for-2 with a double. Griffin took the loss in the circle.

WNCC finished out the day falling to Western Texas 4-3 in the seventh inning. WNCC grabbed a 2-0 lead after one inning, only to fall behind 3-2 after four innings. WNCC added a single run in the fifth to tie the game before falling in the bottom of the seventh.

McNabb and Hensley each collected two hits in the game. McNabb had a double, single, two stolen bases and a RBI, while Hensley also had a double.

WNCC will finish the tournament today with two games at 12 and 2 p.m. against Howard College and Odessa College.

First Game

WNCC 014 010 0 — 6 6
Navarro 200 000 0 — 2 2
WP — Garner; HR — Griffin, Hensley.

Second Game

WNCC 000 000 3 — 3 4
Midland 100 121 x — 5 10
LP — Griffin; 2B — Bourdon.

Third Game

WNCC 200 010 0 — 3 7
West Texas 030 100 1 — 4 8
LP — Garner; 2B — McNabb, Hensley.

WNCC softball splits contests against Frank Phillips

BORGER, Texas – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team opened their season splitting games Thursday afternoon against Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas.

The Cougar women, who are pre-season ranked No. 11 in the country, suffered a 6-4 loss in the opener before rebounding with a 7-5 win in the second game of the twinbill.

“You could tell they had the jitters especially with the pre-season ranking and trying to live up to everyone’s expectations,” head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “In the second game, we started hitting the ball a lot better and Kelsey Garner had a good outing in the circle, picking up her first collegiate win.”

WNCC pounded out 10 hits in scoring the seven runs in the team’s first victory of the season. The Cougars also used the long ball twice in collecting the win – a 2-run, 7th-inning shot by Allie Griffin and a solo dinger by Amanda Hensley in the second inning.

The Cougars trailed 2-0 after one inning and then Hensley put the Cougars on the scoreboard with her first home run of the season. WNCC took the lead in the third with two runs, 3-2. With two outs, Alec Voci and Jessie McNabb singled, and then both scored on a Kayli Allen double.

Frank Phillips retook the lead 4-3 in the fourth inning, but it was short-lived as the Cougars plated two runs each in the fifth and seventh inning. Allen and Griffin started things with back-to-back singles. Kara Ryman then had a run-scoring sacrifice followed by a Hensley run-scoring single.

Allen started things in the seventh by reaching on a single. She later scored on Griffin’s 2-run home run to put WNCC up 7-4.

Allen paced the Cougars with a 3-for-4 game, including two runs scored, two RBIs, and a double. Griffin and Hensley each added two hits. Griffin had two runs scored, two RBIs, a home run and a stolen base; while Hensley had four runs scored, two RBIs and a home run.

Garner, the freshman from Saskatchewan, Canada, collected the win scattering five hits, while striking out four and walking none.

In the opener, the Cougars fell short, giving up two big innings to Frank Phillips. The Lady Plainsmen scored three times each in the third and sixth innings for their six runs. WNCC, showed some offense, putting up a three-spot in the fifth inning.

Kelsi Baldwin led off by reaching base on an error. She later scored on a Voci 2-run home run for the Cougars first runs of the season. McNabb scored the third run, racing home on a Ryman single to tie the game at 3-3.

WNCC added a single run in the seventh as Mandy Pounds singled and scored on a Voci single.

Voci was the only Cougar to register multiple hits. Voci, the freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo., went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and RBIs. Winn-Ratliff also said that Voci’s defense in centerfield was stellar, recording two diving catches.

Natasha Dypchey took the loss in the circle, allowing nine hits, four earned runs, one strikeout and two walks.

WNCC, 1-1, will be back in action today when they compete in the 2-day Odessa Tournament in Odessa, Texas. The Cougars will face Navarro College at 8 a.m., Midland College at 10 a.m. and West Texas at 5 p.m., before facing Howard College and Odessa College on Saturday.

First Game
WNCC 000 030 1 – 4 8 2
Frank Phillips 003 003 x – 6 9 4
LP – Natasha Dypchey (0-1), 2B – Alec Voci; HR – Voci.

Second Game
WNCC (1-1) 012 020 2 – 7 10
Frank Phillips 201 100 1 – 5 6
WP – Kelsey Garner (1-0); 2B – Kayli Allen; HR – Allie Griffin, Amanda Hensley.

WNCC men split sub-region contests over the weekend

The Western Nebraska Community College split a pair of East Sub-region games over the weekend, dropping an 87-72 game to North Platte Community College and before bettering McCook Community College 90-83.

The win against McCook snapped a four-losing skid for the Cougars, pushing their record to 13-11 on the season and 2-2 in sub-regional play.

WNCC held a 47-44 lead at halftime against McCook and pulled away in the second half. Three Cougars finished with 20 or more points in the win. Kelvin Franklin led the way with 25 points, including two 3-pointers. Franklin was also 11-of-16 from the free throw line and five assists. Daniel Smith also finished with 22 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while Deividas Busma had 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field.

Drew Eisinger also picked up double-digit scoring, collecting 12 points including two 3-pointers.

The win Saturday was much needed after the Cougar’s came on Friday, where they fell 87-72 to the Knights of North Platte. The Knights led 44-36 at halftime and out-rebounded the Cougars 31-21. Both teams did shot the ball well, with North Platte hitting on 57 percent of their shots, including seven 3-pointers, while the Cougars shot 56 percent.

WNCC had six players hit double figures. Smith led the way with 17 points including a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Also netting double figures were Lloyd Hickinson with 12 points, Franklin, Eisinger and Oscar Cartwright with 11 points each, and Busma with 10 points.

WNCC will be off until Feb. 16 when they host Northeast Community College in an afternoon contest.

Friday’s Game
WNCC 36 36 – 72
North Platte 44 43 – 87
NORTH PLATTE
Eugene Parker 9, Andrew Hanson 13, Quinton Spivey 2, Joseph Odugbela 27, Jacob Brandl 9, Eurick Newbill 3, Eugene Bain 18, Jerry Vaughn-Taylor 6.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Daniel Smith 17, Oscar Cartwright 11, Kelvin Franklin 11, Lloyd Hickinson 12, Drew Eisinger 11, Devidas Busma 10.

Saturday’s Game
WNCC 47 43 – 90
McCook 44 39 – 83
McCOOK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Luvonte Rhines 26, Trey Mosby 19, Jared Deal 8, Lionell Robinson 6, Manuel Cook 6, Javoiun Martin 5, Ronnell Grant 4, Leon Kirkland 4, Russell Ridlen 3, Josh Fanslow 2.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Kelvin Franklin 25, Daniel Smith 22, Devidas Busma 20, Drew Eisinger 12, Lloyd Hickinson 4, Oscar Cartwright 3, Chris Hamblin 2, Jamie Eisinger 2.

WNCC softball enters season ranked No. 11 in pre-season poll

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team will have something extra special to play for when they open the season next week in Texas.

The Cougars, who finished last season with a 36-21 record, are the 11^th ranked team in the National Junior College Athletic Association pre-season softball poll that was released Friday.

The ranking marks the first time a Cougar softball team has made an appearance in the national polls. It also means the team has plenty to play for during the season.

“It is a good accomplishment to be ranked that high,” sophomore Whittany Foster said. “It is something to be the first team [in softball] at Western Nebraska to do this because no other teams have done this.”

The ranking, in fact, comes at a surprise to the team. Sophomore pitcher Natasha Dypchey of British Columbia, Canada, didn’t realize that this honor was a possibility this early in the season.

“It is pretty amazing to be ranked,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it and I don’t think any of us were this year. We are going to go in and get our job done and play Cougar softball.”

Sophomore pitcher Jessica Pexton said, the team won’t let the ranking go to their head and they will not change how they practice or play.

“We are still going to practice the same and play games equally hard as we have been,” she said. “It is really amazing and I like being ranked.”

Dypchey said that the team chemistry is one of the reasons they have gelled as a unit the last two years.

“We have really good team chemistry [from last year], which I think we are carrying on into this year,” she said. “We practice hard and do everything that coach tells us to do with no questions asked. We just hustle wherever we go and stick to the game plan that she gives us.”

The Cougars will see just how good they are next weekend when they will face three other ranked teams at the Odessa Tournament Friday and Saturday. The Cougars will will tangle with Midland College, Odessa College and Navarro. Before that tourney, the team will open up on Thursday facing Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas.

Garden City Community College, who the Cougars play later this month, is ranked 17th in the nation. Also, defending Region IX champions Otero Junior College comes in at No. 20.

Eastern Arizona College, 46-15 a year ago, is the top team in the pre-season polls followed by Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Midland College and Indian River Community College.

Rounding out the top 10 are Chipola College, Central Arizona College, Butler Community College, College of Southern Idaho and McLennan Community College.

“The tournament will be a chance to see where we are at [against other teams] and where we need to be,” Foster said.

While it is the first time in school history that the softball team has achieved this kind of notoriety, the team realizes they are part of school history. But they won’t let that deter them from accomplishing another goal – winning regionals and going to nationals.

“I don’t think it will change how we go into the season,” Dypchey said. “We are just going to go out and play Cougar softball and have some fun out on the field.”

2008 Pre-season Softball Poll
1, Eastern Arizona College
2, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
3, Chattanooga State Technical
4, Midland College
5, Indian River Community College
6, Chipola College
7, Central Arizona College
8, Butler County Community College
9, College of Southern Idaho
10, McLennan Community College
11, Western Nebraska Community College
12, Salt Lake Community College
13, Santa Fe Community College
14, Wallace State Community College
15, Miami Dade College
16, Gulf Coast Community College
17, Garden City Community College
18, Crowder College
19, Middle Georgia College
20, Otero Junior College
21, Texarkana College
22, Odessa College
23, Spartanburg Methodist College
24. Southeastern Community College
25, Vernon College
26, Wabash Valley College
27, Georgia Perimeter College
28, Jefferson College
29, Walters State Community College
30, Navarro College

WNCC Cougar men lose heartbreaking overtime game to EWC 90-88

Contributed by the Scottsbluff Star-Herald

Whew!

That's probably what the Eastern Wyoming College men were saying as they trotted off the court Wednesday night, just seconds after escaping an exhilarating contest with their border rival Western Nebraska Community College at Cougar Palace.

As fans stood in suspense, the Cougars barely missed on two short-range shot attempts in the final 2 seconds, allowing the Lancers to survive 90-88 in a memorable overtime finish.

"I'm really proud of the way our team battled," EWC coach Casey Jones said. "It's not a sub-region game anymore, so it's not one that we really, really talk about as a team. But I know for the kids and the fans, it's one of their favorite games of the year.

"You can't help but get roped into the rivalry, so this is a big win for us."
If it were evident early in the game, both squads made it clear that they wanted this victory badly down the stretch. Although the Lancers led for much of the second half, WNCC put together a furious rally in the final minutes of regulation to send the contest into overtime.

With EWC clinging to a 79-77 lead, WNCC guard Daniel Smith drove down the lane and scored with just 2.2 seconds remaining in regulation. EWC's desperation half-court shot was off the mark, forcing the extra period.

In overtime, both teams battled neck and neck, until EWC managed to move ahead by four points, 89-85, with just 8.5 seconds to play. But just like it did in regulation, WNCC didn't go away, using two free throws by Smith to pull within two points with 7.8 seconds to go.

EWC's Casey Robinson then made a free throw with 6.2 seconds left, making it a three-point contest. Smith was then fouled at the other end, and he went to the free-throw line and made the first of his two attempts. With WNCC needing a two- or three-point basket and only 2.2 seconds left, Smith was forced to intestinally miss his second free-throw attempt. His high-arching lob bounced off the back of the rim, and the Cougars nearly made a basket on a tip-in try. WNCC grabbed the rebound and again nearly scored on a short jump shot, but the shot was just off the mark as time expired.

"As much as we didn't want to see it go into overtime, it's always fun as a coach to see how your teams responds in a situation like that," Jones said. "I thought our guys responded very well."

Although the Cougars couldn't help but feel heartbroken after the game, WNCC coach Brian Joyce was pleased with how his players never gave up.

"I thought we dug ourselves a hole, but we did a good job of battling back and fighting until the end," Joyce said. "I thought we played with more passion and energy than we did the first time, and we played smarter. Still, we've got to sustain it a little longer than we did tonight."

Jones, whose team held a 77-70 lead with just 1:42 left in regulation, said he wasn't surprised by WNCC's late rally to force overtime. EWC, though, helped give the Cougars new life, as the Lancers converted only 3 of 8 free throws in the final 1:42.

"The only frustrating thing is that I felt we had control of the basketball game [until the last 3 minutes of regulation]," Jones said. "In any late-game situation, if you let a team stay close enough, they're going to make a charge at you. It came down to making free throws and getting defensive rebounds. We missed some free throws, and they took advantage of penetration on their end and just clawed their way back one point at a time."

EWC held control for much of the first half, even bolting ahead 25-17 with 9:15 remaining. WNCC, however, charged back, outscoring the Lancers 22-13 the rest of the half to head into the locker room with a 39-38 lead.

The momentum was short-lived, though, as EWC took control again early in the second half. In fact, the Lancers eventually built their lead to nine points, 64-55, with just over 8 minutes to play.

Although EWC couldn't put the Cougars away for good in regulation, Jones was far from disappointed. He was happy to see his team play well again after struggling in an 82-66 loss at Western Wyoming on Saturday.

"Our last game out was really frustrating, so as a coach I just wanted our guys to battle," Jones said. "Obviously, we wanted to win, too, but what I really wanted to see was us get back to playing well, and we did that."

Joyce said he's confident his team will recover from the setback. The loss was WNCC's third straight and left it with a 12-10 season record.

"We've been pretty resilient overall this season," Joyce said. "I told our guys that we could either keep fighting or quit - it's one or the other. I think our guys will bounce back."

Scotty McRae led EWC (13-9) in scoring with a game-high 29 points. Casey Robinson added 27 points, and Matt Pritchett pitched in 22.

For WNCC, Daniel Smith finished with 22 points, and Lloyd Hickinson added 18. Two other Cougars scored in double figures, as Kelvin Franklin had 15 points and Drew Eisinger added 14. Hickinson had a game-high nine rebounds.

EWC 38 41 11 -- 90
WNCC 39 40 9 -- 88
EASTERN WYOMING
Dane Hill 2, Matt Pritchett 22, Leo Morris 2, Scotty McRae 29, Jordon Johnson 4, Caleb Moore 2, Casey Robinson 27.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Jamie Eisinger 8, Daniel Smith 22, Kelvin Franklin 16, Lloyd Hickinson 18, Drew Eisinger 14, Deividas Busma 4, Chris Hamblin 6, Terrell Price 3.

WNCC women's defense too much for the Lady Lancers

The Western Nebraska Community College defensive pressure and an 11-0 early run was all the Cougar women needed to pick up their 19^th win of the season over Eastern Wyoming College 83-28 Wednesday night at Cougar Palace.

The Cougars not only dominated the court with a smothering defense, they also dominated the Lancers on the boards, out-rebounding EWC 68-37. It was a kind of win that WNCC coach Dave Harnish wanted to see from his team with only seven regular season games left.

“I was pleased, after the NJC loss, I thought we did a good job down at Northeast Nebraska to get a win and tonight our mental focus and our awareness on the floor was a lot better,” he said. “We needed to do that tonight and I thought we were solid all night long. We didn’t shoot the ball as well as I liked, but I thought we executed.”

What did it for the Cougars was an early 11-0 run over a two minute span that opened up a 4-4 game with 15 minutes to play to a commanding 15-4 lead with 13 minutes to play. And it was Scottsbluff graduate SeLina Ysac and Jenna Colwell that ignited the run.

Ysac recorded four points off a steal and then later off an offensive rebound. Colwell did the same, collecting four points.

EWC coach Tom Andersen said his team couldn’t handle the Cougars pressure.

“We hung with them for a little bit and then they went on that run and got ahead of us,” he said. “We then just didn’t respond well to their pressure defense. We obviously got annihilated on the boards both halves. They just beat us defensively and on the boards.”

Harnish said for some reason his team plays better in a pressure situation.

“We don’t play well when we are not pressing for some reason. We opened up in a half-court man-to-man and it seemed like we didn’t have any energy,” he said. “We then went into a full-court press and it seemed to pick us up offensively and defensively. We just seemed to play better that way. Anytime we back off, it seems like we struggle with our energy level.”

EWC’s Jessica Martinez buried a 3-pointer to stop the 11-0, but it was only temporarily as the Cougars as they opened up a 20-9 lead on a Cheri Palmer bucket. The Cougars continued hitting on all cylinders as Tawny Drexler made back-to-back buckets for a 30-13 lead and then Emma Beddome nailed four straight points to end the half with the Cougars up 38-17.

The Cougars continued their strong defense in the first 10 minutes of the second half, holding the Lancers to just three points as WNCC raced to a 60-20 lead. Ysac and Carly Glisan each canned 3-pointers in the 22-3 run.

After that, both teams played even as all the Cougar players scored in the game. Ysac led the way with 12 points, including two 3-pointers and nine rebounds. Beddome also finished with 11 points and six rebounds.

Skye Smith, who made the winning bucket Saturday night against Western Wyoming, led the Lancers with 13 points.

Andersen said it is disappointing in how his team played after the big 72-71 win Saturday night.

“We played well Saturday night and shot and rebounded well. Tonight, we shot poorly,” he said. “You have to give WNCC’s defense credit for that. We didn’t get a lot of good looks and we had three, four or five shot clock violations. We just didn’t respond to their pressure and their size.”

EWC (5-14) 17 21 – 38
WNCC (19-4) 38 45 – 83
EASTERN WYOMING
Kera Bretney 7, Shealyn Wells 4, Jessica Martinez 7, Candace Mitchell 2, Skye Smith 13, Jaqi Bell 5.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Cheri Palmer 9, Dana Iverson 3, Emma Beddome 11, Michelle Lighthall 6, SeLina Ysac 12, Shaquilah Davis 9, Alison Cheney 4, Tawny Drexler 7, Jenna Colwell 5, Eli Cosme-Gonzalez 5, Chelsea Lyles 5, Carly Glisan 7.

WNCC baseball, softball head outdoors to prepare for season, which begins in a couple of weeks

It is hard to think baseball and softball seasons when there is snow on the ground and wind chill temperatures at or below freezing.

But for the Western Nebraska Community College baseball and softball squads they are making the best of the weather as they prepare for their seasons beginning in two weeks. Sunday, in fact, was the first time both teams practiced outdoors after spending the last two weeks indoors.

“We did make it outdoors once this semester [Sunday] so that was nice but we still have some improvements to work on and we need to get acclimated to the weather again,” Cougar softball coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “The weather does make it challenging but you have to make the best out of what you have. We work indoor in the gym on drill work and a lot of infield play. The outfield gets somewhat neglected due to the size but we can still work on cut-off plays and plays to the plate they get to do a lot of base running.”

Winn-Ratliff said the team will take advantage of the warm temperatures on Monday with a second-straight day outdoors. She is hoping the team can be outside a couple more times during week if the weather holds out.

“So it looks like we might have a chance to be outside 4 times before our first game. Not ideal but it is better than not having an opportunity to be outside at all,” she said. “Our practices right now consist of a lot of drills we call the everydays. Pitchers are doing a variety of workouts in addition to throwing in live situations. We hit in our indoor facility six times a week and workout at 6 a.m. three days a week and then try and put a lot of defensive work in on the weekends.”

Baseball coach Mike Jones, whose team captured the Region IX tournament last spring, said they are anxious to spend more time outdoors.

“So far we are mainly indoors, of course, and we are doing a lot of drill work, trying to simplify all our fundamentals and mechanics,” he said. “We are anxious to get outside where we can get in some team practice. For right now, we are doing all we can.”

On Sunday, both teams did make it outside, practicing at Oregon Trail Park. Practices during their first outdoor session involved base running and throwing situations for the baseball team and base running and outfield work for the softball team.

The coaches are hoping the weather takes a turn for the better in the next couple weeks to get even more time on the diamond as their seasons are fast approaching.

“It is crazy because everyday in practice we talk about how many days we have until we open up,” Jones said. “We keep counting down and then you go outside and it is below freezing wind chill. It is pretty tough to really stay on track. It is hard to imagine us playing baseball here in three weeks.”

The softball team opens up Feb. 8 with a doubleheader at Frank Phillips College and then they head to Odessa College for a 2-day tournament Feb. 9-10. The baseball team will open up a week later, when they Feb. 15 at Seward County Community College and then the 16-17 at Barton County Community College.

For the men, this is different since they enter as the Region IX champions after taking care of Trinidad State Junior College in last year’s Region IX championship game.

“We have a target on our back this year and we are the team that everybody is trying to keep up with and beat on,” Jones said. “It is a little bit different for us but we are not going to change our mentality; we are going to just keep playing every game, try to do well in conference play and see where everything falls out. At the same time, the guys need to be aware that everybody will be gunning for them.”

The Cougar men return just five players from last season’s championship team, including pitchers Greg Crowe, Todd Stachura, Cesar Perez and Eric Bissonette. Jones said his team will have to play well from the entire season since there is a different regional tournament alignment.

“Our regional tournament changes quite a bit for everybody because you have to finish in the top four or you don’t even go to the regional tournament,” he said. “It is real important in conference play to take care of your business.”

While the baseball team has a lot of newcomers, the softball team has 10 players return from their 36-21 and runner-up finish at last year’s regional tournament. So far, Winn-Ratliff is impressed with how the team continues to show improvement in building for the season-opener in less then two weeks.

“We have shown improvement in our bunt defenses and our 1/3 defense,” she said. “Our hitting is starting to come around and our pitchers seem to be making good adjustments in the cages”

The pitching staff is much improved. The Cougars return two pitchers that saw plenty of action a year ago in Natasha Dypchey and Jessica Pexton. They also return Ashley Patton, a right-hander from Delta, Utah.

The Cougars also have two promising talents in freshmen Kelsey Garner of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and Allie Griffin of Fort Collins, Colo.

The team also returns a slew of position players, including all-region players Jessie McNabb, Kara Ryman and Lauren Mills. Also returning are Amanda Torimaru, Amanda Hensley, Whittany Foster and Lauren Bourdon.

“We have a good mix of returners and newcomers. We are fighting the injury bug right now but nothing too major, just some bumps and bruises,” Winn Ratliff said. “We have increased our pitching depth from a year ago so hopefully that will take some pressure off of our staff. We continue to keep improving our hitting so it will be a matter of if we can put it all together on the same day.”

Both coaches, though, are excited to get things started in a couple of weeks. “I think we are all excited to actually get to be outside and see how we match up,” Winn-Ratliff said. “I don't know if any of us are ready for that long bus trip.”

WNCC women win, men lose to Northeast Nebraska in sub-region contests

NORFOLK -- The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's basketball teams saw different results in East Sub-region contests Saturday afternoon against Northeast Community College in Nofolk.

The Cougar women received a 16-point performance from freshman Jenna Colwell in posting a come-from-behind win over the Hawks 70-60. It was the Cougars 18^th win of the season and makes them 2-0 in sub-region play.

The Cougar men fell to 1-1 in sub-region play falling to the Hawks 70-60, The Cougar men led early, at 6-4, and then never led again, falling to 12-9 on the season.

WNCC assistant coach Jennifer Pedersen said the women played one of their best first halves and then needed to come back from a 5-point second half deficit to collect the win on the road.

“We played a good first half and then we came out in the second half and didn’t play that well,” she said. “We got down by five in the second half and then we went on a big run. That was when we decided to play a little bit more.”

Pedersen said it was a close game throughout. The Cougars led 32-22 at halftime and wa minute and a half to play, it was only four-point contest. It was then that the Cougars opened up the game with free throw shooting.

Both teams did shoot well from the charity stripe. The Cougars were 73 percent from the line, while the Hawks were 81 percent. The difference was shooting from the field, where the Cougars shot 49 percent compared to 34 percent for the Hawks.

Colwell was one of four Cougars to finish with double-digit scoring. Alison Cheney collected 14 points, followed by Chelsea Lyles and Emma Beddome with 10 points each.

Colwell and Cheney each shot 70 percent from the field. SeLina Ysac and Tawny Drexler led the team on the boards pulling down seven and eight rebounds respectively. Beddome also recorded six boards.

While the women remained perfect in sub-region play, the Cougar men weren’t that fortunate. Brian Joyce said free-throw shooting was a factor. WNCC made 5 of 9 free throws, while Northeast was 20 of 30. WNCC also had 23 fouls called on them compared to seven for the Hawks.

“They [Northeast] shot 39 percent from the field and the big thing in the first half is they scored 12 points off of our turnovers. So, they weren’t particularily shooting well, they were just getting lay-ups off of our turnovers.”

WNCC stayed with the Hawks early, holding a 6-4 lead early. Northeast then opened several 8-point leads. Each time, though, the Cougars would bounce back slicing the lead to one point, 31-30 on a Deividas Busma with 2:21 to play in the half. Northeast then scored the final points of the half to lead 35-30 at intermission.

The Cougars stayed within range of the Hawks in the second half, cutting the lead to three points, 53-50, on a Jamie Eisinger bucket. That was as close as the Cougars got before Northeast outscored WNCC 17-10 the rest of the way.

Joyce said his team did play well in some aspects.

“I thought in the first half we came out in the first half and controlled the tempo, which we have struggled with recently,” Joyce said. “I thought our guards did a good job of picking it and controlling the tempo early.”

WNCC’s Kelvin Franklin paced the Cougars with 23 points. Busma also collected a double-double with 13 points and 20 rebounds.

WNCC will return to action Wednesday when they host its Highway 26 rivals. The women’s game tips off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men.

Men’s Game
WNCC (12-9) 30 30 – 60
Northeast (12-7) 35 35 – 70
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Kelvin Franklin 23, Jamie Eisinger 4, Daniel Smith 4, Deividas Busma 13, Chris Hamblin 4, Oscar Cartwright 6, Lloyd Hickinson 6.

Women’s Game
WNCC (18-4) 32 38 – 70
Northeast (16-5) 22 38 – 60
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Emma Beddome 10, Alison Cheney 14, Tawny Drexler 2, Jenna Colwell 16, Chelsea Lyles 10, Cheri Palmer 8, SeLina Ysac 4, Shaquilah Davis 1, Carly Glisan 5.

Former Cougar named Pre-season all-conference for softball

AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference announced its first-ever preseason All-Conference softball team as the 2008 season prepares to get underway. The team was chosen by the league’s Sports Information Directors and features players from six of the 10 baseball-playing schools in the PBC. Four of the honorees were named All-Conference following the 2007 season.

Columbus State, who advanced to the national semifinals in 2007, led all schools with three preseason All-Conference players as did Armstrong Atlantic State. North Georgia was next with two players.

Mandy Chandler was named PBC All-Conference last season for GCSU. The junior from Covington, Ga., went 22-12 with a 1.33 ERA and 280 strikeouts in 2007. She also led the PBC with 221.1 innings pitched.

Rachel Darr was also impressive on the mound for Columbus State and was named PBC Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2007. A senior from Columbus, Ga., Darr was 27-2 in 2007 with a 0.98 ERA. She led the PBC in wins and was eighth in strikeouts with 157 on the season.

Jessica Strickland was named the co-Player of the Year in the Peach Belt in 2007 and became USC Aiken’s first All-American. A junior from North Charleston, S.C., she hit .349 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2007, breaking the USCA single-season record for homers, RBIs and total bases. She was also ranked in the top 10 in seven major PBC stat categories.

Monica Wofford hit .345 last year for Francis Marion. A senior from Myrtle Beach, S.C., she collected nine doubles, two home runs and was ranked eighth in the PBC with her .462 on-base percentage. She also had a .962 fielding percentage at first base.

Natalie Vogler was named All-Conference last spring for Armstrong Atlantic State. The senior from Lynn Haven, Fla., hit. 361 with a team-best eight home runs and 41 RBIs. She was also ranked among the PBC league leaders with her .613 slugging percentage and .447 on-base percentage.

Leslee Smith was also named All-Conference from North Georgia as a freshman at third base. Returning for her sophomore season, the native of Lexington, Ga., hit .352 and led the Lady Saints with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs, which was also tied for sixth in the Peach Belt.

Brittany Leverett was the 2007 PBC Freshman of the Year and gets the preseason nod at shortstop after hitting .350 with 54 RBIs for the Lady Cougars. A native of Appling, Ga., she was also ranked third in the PBC with 62 runs scored and led the league in walks with 35.

Cassie Cooper made only three defensive outfield errors in 2007 and had a .956 fielding percentage to show for it at Columbus State. A senior from Phenix City, Ala., Cooper hit .335 with six homers and 31 RBIs. She also stole 11 bases.

Kari Marsico is also back for her senior season in the Armstrong Atlantic State outfield. A native of Rapid City, S.D., she hit .310 for the Pirates with a team-leading 14 doubles, seven home runs and 32 RBIs.

North Georgia’s Jessica Skeels is the final outfielder on the preseason All-Conference team. A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., Skeels hit .350 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs…as a freshman. She also had just one fielding error and a .958 fielding percentage.

Nicole Huddleston is the designated/utility player on the preseason team. A sophomore from Rossville, Ga., Huddleston played first base and pitched for AASU. At the plate she hit .304 with a team-best eight home runs and 29 RBIs. On the mound she was 4-1 in 13 appearances.

Cougar men and women fall to Northeastern Junior College

It wasn’t a good evening for the Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams Wednesday against Northeastern Junior College.

The men hung with the Plainsmen in the first half and then watched NJC pick up the intensity to cruise to a 106-84 win.

The WNCC women saw their 13-game win streak come to a halt with a commanding 79-61 defeat to the Plainswomen.

For both teams, it was a matter of facing two hot-shooting NJC teams. The NJC men shot 58 from the field and opened up a tight game in the last minutes of the first half to hold a 52-44 halftime lead. The Cougars, though, were within striking distance most of the first half, holding a 21-19 lead after two Kelvin Franklin treys and a Deividas Busma old-fashioned 3-point play.

WNCC kept the game close until the Plainsmen went on a 9-0 run to grab a 30-25 lead. WNCC did cut the lead to 34-29 on a Busma bucket. The Cougars sliced the lead to even closer on back-to-back Busma buckets at 44-40, only to watch NJC take the halftime lead.

In the second half, the Cougar men shot just 34 percent from the field and quickly were taken out of the contest as the Plainsmen built a 68-48 lead. WNCC, though, kept hanging tough battling to the final buzzer, but couldn’t get within 20 points.

The Cougars did put three players in double figures. Daniel Smith led the way with 22 points followed by Kelvin Franklin with 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Busma also had 17 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

NJC had six players in double figures, led by Mike Dominguez with 18 points.

The Cougar women couldn’t find any rhythm after the first 10 minutes of the game as the Plainswomen shot well and generated 13 steals in stopping the Cougar women’s 13-game winning streak.

But WNCC was its own worst enemy shooting just 39 percent from the field and were just 57 percent from the charity stripe. The Cougars also nailed just 3 of 12 from 3-point arc.

NJC, on the other hand, seemed to not miss hitting on 58 percent from the field while knocking down five 3-pointers. NJC’s dominance started early as Guernsey-Sunrise’s Jennifer Garner nailed the first five points of the game on a 3-pointer and then a field goal. WNCC, however, bounced back tying the game on an Alison Cheney bucket off an assist by Tawny Drexler at 8-8.

Cheney came right back to give the Cougars their only lead of the game at the 13:21 minute mark. The game was tied twice after that, the final time at 12 on two Dana Iverson free throws. After that, the Plainswomen kicked it into second gear, going on a 30-17 run, highlighted by five more points by Garner and also clutch free throw shooting and buckets by Kristen Forbes. Forbes scored seven of her game-high 23 points in the first half to help NJC to a 42-29 halftime lead.

The second half was much of the same for the Cougar women, where they couldn’t get a run started to slice into the lead. NJC pushed the lead to 21 points, 56-33, going on a 12-2 with 13:01 to play.

WNCC did, however, put together a mini 10-4 run to cut the lead to 67-48 as Chelsea Lyles scored seven of the points. NJC had an answer, though, as Forbes nailed a 3-pointer and didn’t let the Cougars back into the game.

WNCC had two players in double figures. Lyles led the way with 13 points, while Cheney chipped in 12.

NJC was led by Forbes 23 points, including a perfect 7 of 7 from the field. She also rattled home two treys. Guernsey-Sunrise graduates Conner and Garner also performed well. Garner finished with 11 points, including two treys, while Conner had seven points and 10 assists.

Both Cougar teams will return to action Saturday for sub-region contests against Northeast Community College in Norfolk before returning home next Wednesday to host Eastern Wyoming College.

WNCC (17-4) 29 32 -- 61
NJC (18-3) 42 37 -- 79
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Jacqie Neill 12, Sarah Conner 7, Britney Creamer 2, Stacy Howard 6, Jennifer Garner 11, Kristen Forbes 23, Kristy Henderson 8, Jessica Priest 2, Taija Bennett 2, Silke Forstmann 6.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Cheri Palmer 2, Dana Iverson 4, Emma Beddome 9, SeLina Ysac 7, Shaquilah Davis 9, Alison Cheney 12, Tawny Drexler 2, Chelsea Lyles 13, Carly Glisan 3.

WNCC (12-8) 44 40 -- 84
NJC (18-3) 52 54 -- 106
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Eric Miller 2, Lawrence Tyson 10, Jeron Lewis 16, Alex Garcia 18, AJ Wilson 12, Troy Smith 16, DeRay Wilson 8, Demario Partee 2, Mike Dominguez 18,, Kylor Dossett 4.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Jamie Eisinger 4, Daniel Smith 22, Oscar Cartwright 8, Kelvin Franklin 21, Lloyd Hickinson 5, Drew Eisinger 4, Deividas Busma 17, Chris Hamblin 1, Greg Hinkle 2.

Joyce returns to NJC as an opposing coach

The Sterling, Colo., Journal-Advocate, the town's local paper, ran a story on Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball coach Brian Joyce's return to Sterling for their game Wednesday. The story can be viewed by following the link below.

http://www.journal-advocate.com/articles/2008/01/22/news/sports/sports1.txt

WNCC basketball teams take on NJC Wednesday in road contests

Game Information
Women, 5:30 p.m.
Radio KOAQ AM690
Men, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: KOZY FM101.3
Location: Sterling, Colo.

Western Nebraska Community College’s Brian Joyce played for, coached at and met his wife Tina, at Northeastern Junior College. So when Joyce brings his Cougar men into Wednesday night’s contest against the Plainsmen, it might seem a tad funny to be on the opponent’s bench, or at least for a while.

“It will be different coaching there. Obviously, me and my wife met there, I played there and I have coached there, so there are a lot of fond memories about the town, the community, the campus, and the people,” Joyce said on his return back to Sterling, Colo. “The people there have been really good to my family, and [Lowell] Roumph, who was my coach and mentor, is still there and I talk to him at various times. It will be exciting to go back. It will be a little bit different, but once the tip is up, then you focus on the game and trying to get a win.”

The Cougar men will be looking for their 13th win of the season against a NJC team that is 17-3 on the season at 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of Colorado Center in Sterling. The women will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. in a game that features two teams that are evening matched.

Joyce knows that what matters most is how his team performs on the court.

“It will be really intense and I think it will be exciting. It will be a fun game to be a part of and I know our guys are really excited about it,” he said. “And, to win on the road, you have to do the little things that make a difference, such as eliminate easy baskets, eliminate second shots and we have to beat them to the ball in a lot of situations. It will be a tough game to win on the road, but I think our guys, mentally, know what it takes.”

WNCC enters the contest on a 3-game winning streak after defeating McCook Community College, Laramie County Community College and Casper College since coming back from break. In fact, the Cougars defeated LCCC in double overtime 72-71 two weeks ago. Last weekend, the Golden Eagles upended No. 16 Sheridan College on a last second shot.

The Cougar men also played one of their best contests last time out, a 90-81 win over Casper College, who came into the contest with a 12-4 record. Joyce said his team is starting to put all the pieces together.

“We have come a long way. I still think we have a long way to go and our upside is still pretty big in terms of where we can go,” Joyce said. “We just take it one game at a time and hopefully gain some momentum to where you are playing well at the end of the year. Right know we have been playing pretty well and we will have a good test on the road.”

Definitely WNCC will be tested when they tip off against NJC. At the same time, both teams bring the same kind of teams into the contest. The Cougars are averaging 77.5 points a game, while giving up 67.7 points. WNCC has three players in double figures. Daniel Smith leads the team at 13.0 points a game, followed by Kelvin Franklin at 12.5 points and Drew Eisinger at 12.2 points a game.

The Plainsmen, who won the regional title a year ago, is averaging 80 points a game while giving up 68.2 points. So, on paper, the teams are pretty similar considering that the Plainsmen also have three players averaging in double figures.

Troy Smith is leading NJC at 13.5 points a game followed by Mike Dominguez at 11.7 points, including 59 3-pointers already this season. DeRay Wilson is also averaging 10.7 points a contest.

“There is now question that our focus is to keep improving for the regional tournament and the guys have been working hard and along the way you have little tests to see how you have improved,” Joyce said. “This is a big test on the road. We will get a real idea of what we need to work on and where we are at and how we stack up against a better team. This will be a good test for us.”

Just like the men’s contest, the women’s contest will also test the Cougar women’s ability to keep getting better. Women’s coach Dave Harnish said it really isn’t a big game for his squad in being a sub-region contest, but what it is in turn is a contest that he hopes his team will continue to build upon for the regional tournament later in the season.

“We are playing a team that is one of the top teams in the region and anytime you go on the road and play a very good team, it is always difficult,” he said. “What Sterling brings is they bring back sophomore leadership at the guard position. It is always tough when you go down there regardless of records. It is a good game for us. We need to learn to play on the road against good teams and it will make us better as the year goes along.”

The Cougar women, 17-3, have won 13 straight contests. Last week against Casper, the Cougar women played one of their best games in rolling over Casper College 80-44, behind a 34-point performance off the bench. NJC also defeated Casper recently in a defensive battle 44-41 on the road.

“I thought we played well against Casper, but we also had a motive there where Casper beat us last year in the championship game. Our girls were pumped up and excited to play Casper. I guess you hope they have that same emotion throughout of what they did against Casper in every game. We have to play well with a lot of enthusiasm to be successful, especially tomorrow night (Wednesday night). If we not come out with the same emotion as we did against Casper, it will be a tough night.”

Defense is what is carrying the Cougar women so far. They are giving up just 48 points a game, fourth in the NJCAA national statistics. Miles Community College, a Region IX team, leads the nation allowing 45 points a game, while Wednesday’s opponent, NJC, is 10th allowing 52.5 points a game.

“Defense is a key for us in the sense we have to play good defense. We have struggled offensively,” Harnish said. “We did come out against Casper and had a little bit better rhythm, but for the most part we have not produced offensively as well as I have liked. We have not shot the ball well consistently. We have struggled offensively throughout the year so defense has to be a staple to our success, especially if you play on the road.”

Offensively, the Cougars are averaging 72.5 points a game, while the Plainswomen are scoring at a clip of 74.5 points a game.

WNCC has three players averaging in double figures. Chelsea Lyles leads the team averaging 13.7 points a game and 5.2 rebounds a game. Right behind Lyles is Emma Beddome and Alison Cheney each averaging 10 points a contest.

The Plainswomen are led by Guernsey-Sunrise graduates Jennifer Garner and Sarah Conner. Garner is averaging 10 points and five rebounds, while Conner is posting 12.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.8 steals a contest.

After the NJC contest, both Cougar teams will hit the road for key sub-region contests against Northeast Community College in Norfolk as both teams look to stay unbeaten in sub-region play.

The games Wednesday can be heard on the radio and Internet. The women’s contest can be heard on AM690, while the men’s game will be on KOZY-FM101.3.

WNCC basketball teams take on NJC Wednesday in road contests

Game Information
Women, 5:30 p.m.
Radio KOAQ AM690
Men, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: KOZY FM101.3
Location: Sterling, Colo.

Western Nebraska Community College’s Brian Joyce played for, coached at and met his wife Tina, at Northeastern Junior College. So when Joyce brings his Cougar men into Wednesday night’s contest against the Plainsmen, it might seem a tad funny to be on the opponent’s bench, or at least for a while.
“It will be different coaching there. Obviously, me and my wife met there, I played there and I have coached there, so there are a lot of fond memories about the town, the community, the campus, and the people,” Joyce said on his return back to Sterling, Colo. “The people there have been really good to my family, and [Lowell] Roumph, who was my coach and mentor, is still there and I talk to him at various times. It will be exciting to go back. It will be a little bit different, but once the tip is up, then you focus on the game and trying to get a win.”
The Cougar men will be looking for their 13th win of the season against a NJC team that is 17-3 on the season at 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of Colorado Center in Sterling. The women will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. in a game that features two teams that are evening matched.
Joyce knows that what matters most is how his team performs on the court.
“It will be really intense and I think it will be exciting. It will be a fun game to be a part of and I know our guys are really excited about it,” he said. “And, to win on the road, you have to do the little things that make a difference, such as eliminate easy baskets, eliminate second shots and we have to beat them to the ball in a lot of situations. It will be a tough game to win on the road, but I think our guys, mentally, know what it takes.”
WNCC enters the contest on a 3-game winning streak after defeating McCook Community College, Laramie County Community College and Casper College since coming back from break. In fact, the Cougars defeated LCCC in double overtime 72-71 two weeks ago. Last weekend, the Golden Eagles upended No. 16 Sheridan College on a last second shot.
The Cougar men also played one of their best contests last time out, a 90-81 win over Casper College, who came into the contest with a 12-4 record. Joyce said his team is starting to put all the pieces together.
“We have come a long way. I still think we have a long way to go and our upside is still pretty big in terms of where we can go,” Joyce said. “We just take it one game at a time and hopefully gain some momentum to where you are playing well at the end of the year. Right know we have been playing pretty well and we will have a good test on the road.”
Definitely WNCC will be tested when they tip off against NJC. At the same time, both teams bring the same kind of teams into the contest. The Cougars are averaging 77.5 points a game, while giving up 67.7 points. WNCC has three players in double figures. Daniel Smith leads the team at 13.0 points a game, followed by Kelvin Franklin at 12.5 points and Drew Eisinger at 12.2 points a game.
The Plainsmen, who won the regional title a year ago, is averaging 80 points a game while giving up 68.2 points. So, on paper, the teams are pretty similar considering that the Plainsmen also have three players averaging in double figures.
Troy Smith is leading NJC at 13.5 points a game followed by Mike Dominguez at 11.7 points, including 59 3-pointers already this season. DeRay Wilson is also averaging 10.7 points a contest.
“There is now question that our focus is to keep improving for the regional tournament and the guys have been working hard and along the way you have little tests to see how you have improved,” Joyce said. “This is a big test on the road. We will get a real idea of what we need to work on and where we are at and how we stack up against a better team. This will be a good test for us.”
Just like the men’s contest, the women’s contest will also test the Cougar women’s ability to keep getting better. Women’s coach Dave Harnish said it really isn’t a big game for his squad in being a sub-region contest, but what it is in turn is a contest that he hopes his team will continue to build upon for the regional tournament later in the season.
“We are playing a team that is one of the top teams in the region and anytime you go on the road and play a very good team, it is always difficult,” he said. “What Sterling brings is they bring back sophomore leadership at the guard position. It is always tough when you go down there regardless of records. It is a good game for us. We need to learn to play on the road against good teams and it will make us better as the year goes along.”
The Cougar women, 17-3, have won 13 straight contests. Last week against Casper, the Cougar women played one of their best games in rolling over Casper College 80-44, behind a 34-point performance off the bench. NJC also defeated Casper recently in a defensive battle 44-41 on the road.
“I thought we played well against Casper, but we also had a motive there where Casper beat us last year in the championship game. Our girls were pumped up and excited to play Casper. I guess you hope they have that same emotion throughout of what they did against Casper in every game. We have to play well with a lot of enthusiasm to be successful, especially tomorrow night (Wednesday night). If we not come out with the same emotion as we did against Casper, it will be a tough night.”
Defense is what is carrying the Cougar women so far. They are giving up just 48 points a game, fourth in the NJCAA national statistics. Miles Community College, a Region IX team, leads the nation allowing 45 points a game, while Wednesday’s opponent, NJC, is 10th allowing 52.5 points a game.
“Defense is a key for us in the sense we have to play good defense. We have struggled offensively,” Harnish said. “We did come out against Casper and had a little bit better rhythm, but for the most part we have not produced offensively as well as I have liked. We have not shot the ball well consistently. We have struggled offensively throughout the year so defense has to be a staple to our success, especially if you play on the road.”
Offensively, the Cougars are averaging 72.5 points a game, while the Plainswomen are scoring at a clip of 74.5 points a game.
WNCC has three players averaging in double figures. Chelsea Lyles leads the team averaging 13.7 points a game and 5.2 rebounds a game. Right behind Lyles is Emma Beddome and Alison Cheney each averaging 10 points a contest.
The Plainswomen are led by Guernsey-Sunrise graduates Jennifer Garner and Sarah Conner. Garner is averaging 10 points and five rebounds, while Conner is posting 12.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.8 steals a contest.
After the NJC contest, both Cougar teams will hit the road for key sub-region contests against Northeast Community College in Norfolk as both teams look to stay unbeaten in sub-region play.
The games Wednesday can be heard on the radio and Internet. The women’s contest can be heard on AM690, while the men’s game will be on KOZY-FM101.3.

WNCC men's basketball team hosting Night with the Cougars on Valentine's Day

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team is offering youngsters an opportunity to spend Valentine’s night with the Cougars with a “Date Night” on Feb. 14.

The camp, or fun evening, includes five hours of fun and games with the men’s basketball team, including dinner, homework hour (if requested), five hours of organized games, signed player poster and one free ticket to the Feb. 16 Coguar game with attending parent.

The night with the Cougars is for youngsters ages 4 to 12 and runs from 5 - 10 p.m. on Valentine’s Day at WNCC's Cougar Palace. The event is co-sponsored by Runza Restraurant.

Cost for the evening festivities is $25 for one child, $45 for two siblings and $65 for three siblings if pre-registered by Feb. 10. After that day, the cost is $30 for one, $55 for two and $75 for three.

For more information on the event, contact WNCC men’s basketball coach Brian Joyce at joyceb2@wncc.net or at 308-635-6780. Registration forms can also be downloaded off the Cougar athletic website at sports.wncc.net.

WNCC softball team raffling a 3-day hunt in Texas

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team has a deal for all the hunters or outdoorsman. The team is raffling off a chance to win a 3-day hunting trip to Crowell, Texas, to hunt Turkey and Wild Pig.

The winner will receive guide service, lodging and Texas license for the 3-day hunt. The winner will be responsible for transportation to Crowell, Texas, and food. The hunt must be used between March 29 and May 11.

Raffle tickets for a chance to win the hunting trip are 1 ticket for $10, 3 tickets for $20 and $10 tickets for $50. Get your tickets from any Cougar softball player or coach. The drawing will be held in late February.

The hunt is donated by John and Kimberly Foster, with the proceeds benefiting the Cougar softball team.

For more information on the 3-day hunt, contact WNCC softball coach Maria Winn-Ratliff at 308-635-6189 or at winnm@wncc.net.