WNCC softball team splits with Trinidad State

Lamar, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball split a conference doubleheader with Trinidad State Junior College Saturday afternoon in Lamar, Colo., despite strong starts in both contests.

Jordan Schoepflin started things with a bang in the opener, blasting a 2-run first-inning home run to power the Cougars to a 5-3 win. Game two wasn't so fortunate as Trinidad scored twice in the sixth inning to register a 4-2 win.

The Cougars jumped to a 5-0 lead on Schoepflin's fourth home run of the season. The Cougars also smashed three doubles in the first game with Allie Alverson connecting on two 2-baggers, while Brittany Chacon had the other double.

Alverson led the Cougar attack from the plate with a 2-for-4 performance, including an RBI. Schoepflin and Katie Groves each were 1-for-3 for the game, while Chacon was 1-for-2.

Taylor Anderson picked up the win in the circle with a dazzling performance, including finishing with a bang. Trinidad State loaded the bases with two outs in its final at bat when Anderson fanned the batter for the final out. Anderson picked up her fifth win of the season. The sophomore finished with seven strike outs and two walks, while scattering five hits.

WNCC played well in the second game but couldn't get the hit they needed in suffering the disappointing loss. Adena Hagen started things in the first with a single and scored on a Schoepflin single that went to the fence.

Trinidad tied the game in the first and then went ahead 2-1 with a single run in the fourth inning. The Cougars clawed back into the contest by tying the game in the sixth inning. Schoepflin started things with a single and scored on a Jackie Cappuccilli single.

WNCC couldn't hold the lead as the Trojans scored twice in the sixth inning to steal the game.

Brittany Enterline took the loss in the circle by allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings. The freshman from Tracy, Calif., stuck out three and walked three.

The Cougars outhit the Trojans 7-6 in the game. Schoepflin led the charge with a 2-for-3 performance, including a run scored and an RBI. Chacon also had two hits with a 2-for-2 game. Also collecting hits for WNCC was Grove, Hagen and Cappuccilli.

Saturday's doubleheader was the start of a wicked road trip for the Cougars. WNCC, 12-3, will have nine games in the next six days during a spring break trip to Arizona. WNCC is hoping to bounce back from the second game loss when they face Odessa College and South Mountain Community College on Monday in Phoenix.

First Game
WNCC 230 000 0 -- 5 5 1
Trinidad 000 100 0 -- 3 6 1
WP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- Allie Alverson 2, Brittany Chacon; HR -- Jordan Schoepflin.

Second Game
WNCC (12-3) 100 001 0 -- 2 7 2
Trinidad State (11-8) 100 102 x -- 4 6 0
LP -- Brittany Enterline.

Region IX Softball Standings
College Overall Conf.
Western Nebraska 12-3 4 -2
Trinidad State 11-8 7-1
Otero J.C. 15-11 10-2
Lamar C.C. 6-15 3-7
McCook C.C. 0-6 0-4
Dawson C.C. 0-8 0-8

WNCC men eliminated at regional tournaemnt by Sheridan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WNCC softball splits with Garden City Community College

GARDEN CITY, Kan. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a doubleheader Sunday against Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan.

The Cougars scored six times in the sixth inning to register a 7-4 win in the opener before falling 8-2 in game two.

In the first game, the Cougars trailed 3-1 heading through five innings. WNCC received a big lift from freshman Ashton Hughes, who delivered a 3-run home run that scored Jackie Cappuccilli and Stephanie Townsend to give the Cougars a 7-3 lead.

WNCC pounded out 10 hits in the game, including four extra base hits. Megan Burditt led the team with a 2-for-3 game, including a triple and a run scored. Adena Hagen went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Katie Groves finished the game with two runs scored on one hit, while Townsend went 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run.

Hughes went 1-for-3 in teh game with a home run and three home runs.

Taylor Anderson picked up her fifth win of the season. Anderson scattered nine hits, while striking out five.

The second game didn't go the Cougars' way. WNCC jumped on top 1-0 after one inning before falling behind the 8-ball as the Broncobusters went up 8-1 after four innings.

WNCC managed just five hits in the contest, while giving up 11 hits to Garden City.

Brittany Enterline took the loss in the circle, going four innings, while giving up eight runs, walking four and striking out three.

Hagen and Allie Alverson each went 2-for-3 in the game. Hagen had a double with a RBI, while Alverson had a double and run scored. Brittany Chacon had the other hit, a double, for the Cougars.

WNCC, 11-2, will next be in action this weekend when they travel to face the University of Colorado Club team on Friday at Longmont, Colo.

First Game
WNCC 100 006 0 -- 7 10 2
Garden CIty 000 300 1 -- 4 9 0
WP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- Adena Hagen, Steph Townsend; 3B -- Megan Burditt; HR -- Ashton Hughes.

Second Game
WNCC (11-2) 100 000 1 -- 2 5 3
Garden CIty 032 300 x -- 8 11 0
LP -- Brittany Enterline; 2B -- Hagen, Brittany Chacon, Allie Alverson

WNCC women fall to Otero at regional tournament

STERLING, Colo. – Otero Junior College connected on 12 3-pointers, seven in the second half, and the Rattlers upended Western Nebraska Community College 68-60 in the second round of the Region IX tournament in Sterling, Colo., Sunday afternoon.

The quarterfinal loss was typical of the Cougar’s second semester where they struggled defensively. Otero shot a blistering 57 percent (12 of 21) from the 3-point line including 7 of 9 in the second half. The Cougars, on the other hand, shot just 44 percent from the field and were outscored 36-9 from beyond the 3-point arc.

“We give up seven 3-pointers the second half and never made adjustments in knowing who the shooters are,” WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. “I think what hurt us all year hurt us tonight and that was unable to defend and rebound the ball.”

Another big key in the contest was losing sophomore Stormye Everett with about a minute left in the first half with an ankle injury. After that, Everett sat on the bench with her foot iced cheering on her teammates.

“We were hanging in there the first half and when Stormye went, it did hurt us,” Harnish said. “Still, the bottom line, kids have to step up and we just didn’t do that. We struggled all semester in recognizing who the shooters are and playing defense. That is what ultimately what caught up to us in the end.”

WNCC was sticking with Otero in the first half. In fact, WNCC zipped out to an 11-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Yuki Morimoto and four points each from Tiffany Moorer and Carolina Alves. Otero came back scoring the next six points to slice the lead to 11-8 before WNCC went ahead 16-11 on an Everett 3-pointer.

The Cougars led 28-23 after a bucket by Shelby Campbell and two field goals from Everett with four minutes to play. Otero came back to tie the game at 30 on a 3-pointer by Desiree Marrufo, Angie Angie Andenucio gave momentum to Otero heading into the locker room after she nailed a trey to tie the game at 33-33

WNCC started slow in the second half, but a bucket by Moorer and a driving layup by Amber Kistler put WNCC up 41-40. The Cougars pushed the lead to 46-43 on back-to-back Thais Pinto buckets. Otero fought back, in taking a 53-48 lead and led 57-50 at one stretch.

The Cougars came back scoring the next six points on a bucket by Moorer and four points from Pinto to cut the lead to 57-56. Otero wasn’t rattled as Chelsea Rotondo drained a 3-pointer followed by buckets by Marrufo and Tracy Fosterling for a 64;56 lead. The closest the Cougars got after that was 64-60 with 30 seconds to play.

Morimoto paced the Cougars with 16 points, 13 in the first half. Pinto also finished with double digits, finishing with 13 points. Morimoto also had nine rebounds.

Otero was paced by Marrufo with 19 points followed by Andenucio with 13 and Rotondo with 12.

The Cougars finish the season with a 24-8 record and losses just two sophomores – Everett and Kistler – from this year’s team.

“The disappointing thing is we had such a good first semester and expectations were high second semester. We just could never get that toughness and desire to really want to win every game back,” Harnish said. “Both of the sophomores were key for us this year. They were kids that were our two leading scorers on the team and they both competed and played hard and did the things we expected on the floor. I certainly wish them the best of luck and I appreciate the effort that they gave us.

“There is no question that Amber works hard. She is a local kid that comes in and works hard. She puts the time in and that is all you want from kids today.”

Otero 33 35 – 68
WNCC (24-8) 33 27 – 60
OTERO JUNIOR COLLEGE
Melinda Perry 4, Kari Ameling 11, Kaitlyn Lowen 5, Tracy Fosterling 4, Chelsea Rotondo 12, Desiree Marrufo 19, Angie Andenucio 13.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Amber Kistler 5, Stormye Everett 7, Shelby Campbell 3, Yuki Morimoto 16, Ariane Brown 2, Tiffany Moorer 8, Carolina Alves 4, Thais Pinto 13, Kelli Culver 2.

NWCC men's basketball open regional tournament with 80-78 win over Lamar

SHERIDAN, Wyo. -- Francisco Cruz erupted for 33 points and the Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team escaped with an 80-78 win over Lamar Community College in the Region IX tournament Saturday in Sheridan, Wyo.

The key for the Cougars' win was their red hot start as Joe Stock nailed three 3-pointers to give WNCC a 27-17 lead. Lamar, the defending Region IX champions, came storming back in holding the Cougars scoreless for nearly seven minutes in taking a 28-27 lead.

Francisco Cruz brought the Cougars back with back-to-back buckets, and the Mateus Chaves nailed a half-court shot at the buzzer to send the Cougars into the locker room with a 34-32 lead.

In the second half, the Cougars jumped out to a 52-44 lead before going ice cold once again in letting the Lopes come back to within four 54.52. The Cougars, however, found their offensive game again as Ritchie Mundende had a huge offensive tip in, and then Geoffrey Firman and Cruz canned back-to-back 3-pointers to go up 67-55.

WNCC added to the lead as Firmin and Cruz connected on a four free throws to go up 72-60 with two minutes to play. The Cougars couldn't keep the double-digit lead as the Lopes came storming back, slicing the lead to 76-74.

The Cougars hung on as Stock and Cruz nailed two free throws each to go up 80-76. Lamar had a chance to tie or win the game after WNCC turned the ball over with 5.2 seconds left, but the Lopes fumbled the ball and never could get off a chance.

Cruz led both teams in scoring with 33 points, including a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. The University of Wyoming recruit also pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out four assists.

Stock also had a nice game, finishing with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Geddes Robinson was the third Cougar in double figures, finishing with 12 points.

WNCC shot 44 percent from the field while Lamar was 52 percent. But the big reason for the win was free throw shooting. The Cougars were 23 of 28 from the line for 82 percent, while Lamar was 18 of 28 for 65 percent.

WNCC, 19-12, will now face the host school Sheridan College at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Cougars and Sheridan met once before as the Generals recorded an 82-69 win back in December.

Other action on Saturday at the regional tournament saw Miles Community College earn a 70-68 win over Central Wyoming, Northwest Wyoming downed Gillette College 85-74, and Northeastern Junior College outscored McCook Community College 107-104.

Quarterfinal action on Sunday will have Miles City taking on Laramie County at 1 p.m., Northwest Wyoming facing at North Platte at 3 p.m., Northeastern Junior College meeting Casper College at 6 p.m., and WNCC facing Sheridan College at 8 p.m.

At the women's tournament in Sterling, the quarterfinals are set after four more games on Saturday.

Action Saturday saw Central Wyoming earn a 72-54 win over Lamar Community College, Otero coming back to down Western Wyoming 60-47, Miles beating McCook 56-41, and Northeast Nebraska beating Northwest Wyoming 76-69.

Quarterfinal action on Sunday will have Central Wyoming facing Sheridan at 1 p.m., Otero taking on Western Nebraska at 3 p.m., Miles City meeting Casper at 5 p.m., and Northeast Nebraska facing Northeastern Colorado at 7 p.m.

Lamar (16-15) 32 46 -- 78
WNCC (19-12) 34 46 -- 80
LAMAR
Allen Tate 11, Arden Dennis 7, Ron Waller 10, Melvin Williams 11, Tidjane DIop 4, James Holmes 6, Jordan Hill 5, Kevin Hinsey 14, Andre Wells 1, Petar Milasinovic 9.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Geoffrey Firmin 8, O'Rion Hughes 1, Joe Stock 16, Francisco Cruz 33, Geddes Robinson 12, Saul Torres 4, Mateus Chaves 3, Ritchie Mundende 3.

WNCC softball takes two from Otero Junior College behind 9 RBI night from Jordan Schoepflin

LA JUNTA, Colo. -- Jordan Schoepflin belted two home runs and nine RBIs as the Western Nebraska Community College softball team won a conference doubleheader Saturday against Otero Junior College Saturday in La Junta, Colo.

The Cougars won the first game 3-1 in eight innings as Schoepflin had a 2-run home run in the extra inning. WNCC captured the second game 12-2 as Schoepflin had 7 RBIs, a home run and two doubles to improve the Cougars to 10-1 and 3-1 in conference play.

Schoepflin said the first-game victory was huge for momentum.

"The home run was huge because not only did it give us a tw-run lead, it made us more relaxed and excited as we went back out on the field to hold them for the win. It also helped bring a lot of momentum and excitement into the second game."

WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said, more importantly, these wins help the team in their march to win the conference.

"it was nice for us to go on the road and get two big conference wins," Winn-Ratliff said. "We had several different players stwp up big for us at key times. I was very impressed with our teams composure in both games."
"Jordan got off to a slow start but came up with a big hit for us in the eighth, and it was nice to have Adena {Hagen] on base. Both Taylor {Anderson] and Britt {Enterline] did a great job keeping their hitters off balance and the ball in the park."

In the opener, Taylor Anderson struck out nine while scattering five hits in getting the pitching win.

Offensively, the Cougars managed five hits as Adena Hagen was the only Cougar with multiple hits. Hagen earned a walk in the eighth before Schoepflin's go-ahead home run.

WNCC rode Schoepflin's heroic effort in the opener in the second game as they scored two runs in the first inning and seven in the second inning for a 7-1 lead.

In the first inning, Allie Alverson and Hagen scored on a Schoepflin double to go up 2-0.

WNCC added five more runs in the second inning on seven hits. Alverson delivered a 2-run scoring single, Hagen had a run-scoring single, and Schoepflin a 2-run scoring double, before Ashton Hughes finished off the inning with a run-scoring double. Brittany Chacon also added a solo home run in the inning.

The Cougars went up 10-1 in the third inning after Hagen singled and scored on Schoepflin's third home run of the year.

WNCC pounded out 14 hits in the five-inning, run-rule-shortened game. Schoepflin went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and seven RBIs. Also collecting multiple hits were Hagen, Hughes and Burditt with two hits each. Hagen was 2-for-2 with a double and three runs scored, while Burditt was 2-for-2 with two runs. Hughes was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.

Alverson and Katie Groves each scored two runs on one hit. Alverson also had two RBIs.

WNCC, 10-1, will take on Garden City Community College on Sunday in Garden CIty, Kan.

"We have to get refocused and come out ready to play tomorrow against Garden," Winn-Ratliff said. "They have been playing very well and its always a tough place to play."

Game One
WNCC 001 000 02 -- 3 5 1
Otero 000 100 00 -- 1 5 1
WP -- Taylor Anderson (4-1); HR -- Jordan Schoepflin.

Game Two
WNCC (10-1) 253 02 -- 12 14 1
Otero (9-11) 101 00 -- 2 5 2
WP -- Brittany Enterline (4-0); 2B -- Schoepflin (2), Adena Hagen, Ashton Hughes; HR -- Schoepflin, Brittany Chacon.

WNCC women open Region IX tournament with win over Little Big Horn College

STERLING, Colo. – If the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team played every game like they did the first five minutes of their Region IX tournament opener against Little Big Horn College Friday afternoon at Sterling, Colo., they would be unbeaten on the season.

The Cougars used an 11-0 to start the game and then cruised to an easy 79-52 win over the Rams in the Cougars’ tournament opener.

Stormye Everett paced the Cougar attack with 23 points, followed by Bayard’s Amber Kistler with 17. Kistler also had two 3-pointers and four assists in the Cougar’s 24^th win of the season.

“We came out really strong in the beginning and then our defense kind of got sloppy, and then we ended up coming back in the second half,” Kistler said. “There really is no reason that they should have scored 50, but a win is a win and in the end we at least get to move on. We beat them by 29, almost 30 points, so it helps with our confidence. We know we can score and we know we have a really good chance at winning this if we just play Cougar basketball.”

As well as the Cougars started the game, they also did have moments of non-brilliance. All five starters put in a bucket to open the contest to lead 11-2 before Little Big Horn scored their first bucket about five minutes into the game. WNCC pushed the lead to 20-3 on five points by Kelli Culver, including a 3-pointer.

The Cougars pushed the lead to 26-7 before the rams went on a 12-2 run to slice the lead to single digits, 26-19. WNCC quickly put a halt to the Rams’ run as Yuki Morimoto nailed a bucket followed by back-to-back field goals by Everett. Kistler then connected on 3-pointer and then scored on a lay up with a minute to play to help WNCC to a 39-24 halftime lead.

Kistler said it was the teams start that helped them assert themselves in the opening-round game.

“In the first five minutes of the game, we just went hard,” she said. “We rebounded the ball, we ran the break, we made good passes, and we were really clean. We need to play that kind of basketball the whole time. “

The second half was all WNCC as the Cougars opened the half on a 21-6 run as Everett had 11 points.

WNCC blistered the nets for 54 percent shooting compared to 28 for Little Big Horn. The Cougars also out-rebounded the Rams 49-22 led by Everett with six. Kistler, Shelby Campbell, Thais Pinto and Kelli Culver all had five boards.

Besides Everett and Kistler hitting the double-digit scoring column, Morimot and Carolina Alves also chipped in 10 points each.

Kistler says the competition only gets tougher. The Cougars will next play Sunday at 3 p.m. against the winner of the Western Wyoming and Otero Junior College contest that will be played Sunday.

“The combination does get harder. The rides and the games take a toll on your body, but we just need to go hard like we did the first few minutes,” she said. “But, we get to rest a whole day, get our feet up, rest and we don’t have to travel.”

"We know we can play with any team as long as we play our game. We have come a long way from those losses [Against Otero and Eastern Wyoming]. I think we actually needed those losses to make us realize how hard we need to play to advance in this tournament.”

Little Big Horn 24 28 – 52

WNCC (24-7 39 40 – 79

LITTLE BIG HORN

Tanell Poitier 2, Tracy Lewis 11, Loretta Brown 13, Tiffany Eildgoose 4, Monique Iron Shell 8, Charla takes Enemy9, Coty Harris 2, Lawissa Natan 3.

WESTERN NEBRASKA

Amber Kistler 17; Stormye Everett 23, Shelby Campbell 1, Yuki Morimoto 10, Tiffany Moorer 6, Carolina Alves 10, Thais Pinto 4, Kelli Culver 8.

WNCC Cougar men ready for regional tournament in Sheridan, Wyo.

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team enters this weekend’s regional tournament in Sheridan, Wyo., with nothing to lose, and that is exactly how they are approaching the post-season.

The Cougar men, after starting the season 9-1, are 18-12 on the season as they enter the post-season tourney this weekend in Sheridan, Wyo. WNCC begins tournament play Saturday at 8 p.m. against Lamar Community College, the defending Region IX champions. The tournament tips off Friday afternoon with four first-round games.

WNCC head coach Russ Beck said his team, hopefully, put Monday’s regular season-ending loss to Eastern Wyoming College, where they shot 19 percent in the second half, behind them.

“I told the boys that the loss on Monday will be one of two things,” he said. “It might light a fire underneath our belly and we might just go up and win this tournament, or else it will be the punch just before the knock-out blow and we will bow out early.”

The Cougars’ loss to EWC was a disappointment after topping Northeastern Junior College 86-85 in a heart-pounding win. Beck said that this team has refocused and feels they will be ready.

“They are working very hard. We had a good team meeting and we talked about where we are at, whom supports this team, and that this is more than a basketball game or basketball team,” he said. “The community really gets behind us and there are a lot of kids and people that come to the games to be a part of something. I think that opened their eyes a little bit too why we play and why we are the Cougars. I can see that they are working harder in practice. They are a little bit more focused and they are a little more attentive to things that are going on on the floor.”

WNCC does not have an easy road to the national title. They open up against Lamar on Saturday, a team they split with this season. If they happen to win, they will face the winner of the Western Wyoming and Sheridan College team on Sunday.

WNCC defeated Lamar 73-47 back on Dec. 1 before falling to the Runnin’ Lopes 66-57 on Jan. 15.

“We played pretty well against them at home and they didn’t play well when they were here,” Beck said. “It kind of was the flip-flop in the second game where we didn’t play well and they played extremely well. They are a team that is capable of shooting the three. They are fairly athletic. As they hit shots, they become more and more confident.

“We have to hunker down and give them a lot of ball pressure and make them make plays off the bounce. We have to make sure we rebound it because down at their place we gave up way too many offensive rebounds. We need more guys boxing out.”

WNCC turned its season around after the North Platte game on Feb. 5 when the Knights topped the Cougars 81-60. It was then the team changed to a more ball-hawking defense. Since that defensive change, the team has buckled down.

“For us to do well we need a combination of things to happen and we really need to play good defense,” Beck said. “For the Cougars, our best offensive and best games overall are when we have been playing our best defense. It is about being conscious of some of our rules defensively in our man-to-man. When we stick to that, we are pretty effective. We also need to hit free throws and we need to limit our turnovers.”
Action in the men’s tournament tips off Friday with four first-round games. Laramie County Community College faces Northeast Nebraska at 1 p.m., North Platte Community College faces Trinidad State Junior College at 3 p.m., Casper College faces Dawson Community College at 5 p.m., and Sheridan meets Western Wyoming at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s first-round games include Central Wyoming facing Miles Community College at 1 p.m., Northwest Wyoming meeting Gillette College at 3 p.m., Northeastern Junior College facing McCook at 6 p.m. and WNCC meeting Lamar at 8 p.m.

Quarterfinals are slated for Sunday, semi-finals for Monday and the championship will be Tuesday at 7 p.m.

WNCC games can be heard on KOZY 101.3 or on the web at kozy1013.com. All the games will also be video streamed on the web from the Sheridan College website located at http://www.scgenerals.com/regionix/.

WNCC women's basketball team set for regional tournament on Friday

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team will be looking to capture its sixth Region IX championship in eight years when they take part in this weekend’s Region IX championship in Sterling, Colo.

The Cougars will begin that quest on Friday against Little Big Horn College on a good note after winning their last five contests, including a 66-48 win against Northeastern Junior College on Sunday. The tournament runs through March 9 with the championship game. Tip-off for the opening round contest is slated for 3 p.m.

WNCC enters with a 23-7 record and a number one seed from the East Sub-region, but they don’t enter the tournament as the favorite as Casper College (27-3) and Northeastern Junior College (24-5) are the picks to win the tournament.

“We are on a good side of the bracket,” WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. “We are opposite the two strongest teams in the region in Casper and Sterling and we wouldn’t have to see them until the championship game. But, you don’t know what would happen. It is us to get to that point and not looking ahead.”

The scenario for the regional tournament is practically the same as two seasons ago when the Cougars went to regionals in Miles City, Mont., they were not the favorite. Miles City entered the tourney with just one loss on the season and was picked to win the title. WNCC played tough defense throughout the tourney and captured the regional title in 2008 over Miles City.

Harnish said that is the same story this season.

“In a regional tournament anything can happen because everybody starts with a 0-0 record,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you come in with a 2 seed, a 1 seed, or a 4 seed; everyone has the same opportunity to win the regional tournament. It is whoever gets hot and who is playing well. The way we played Sunday, we can carry that on. If we can do that, we certainly can go in and win the championship. IF we don’t do the things that we have to do, we are not going to.”

WNCC definitely is playing some of their best basketball after going through a month of trials and tribulations. The Cougars have won their last five games after falling in back-to-back contests to Casper and Eastern Wyoming College.

Since those two losses, the Cougars picked it up a notch, topping Northeast Nebraska 71-69, McCook 76-51, Lamar 77-44, Eastern Wyoming 70-65 and NJC 66-48.

The big key in those wins was defense and rebounding, the two things that Harnish said will be crucial to the team’s success this weekend.

“We really haven’t had a problem scoring; it really is about rebounding both offensively and defensively and stopping other teams,” he said. “We have done a better job, but it remains to be seen if we can do that four nights in a row.”

Consistency in rebounding and defending really has hurt the team this season. The Cougars, who are usually one of the top defensive teams in the region year in and year out, are sixth this season fiving up 60.3 points a game. On the flipside, the Cougars are second In region in offensive output, scoring 74.6 points a game. Casper is the only team scoring more points at 78 points a clip.

“It has been a tough semester going into the tournament,” Harnish said. “I think we have made progress the last two weeks and definitely put it all together against Northeastern Junior College on Sunday. The fact remains is can we do that for four game stretch of regional tournament. That will be the key. “

Harnish said he knows little about his first round opponent, Little Big Horn. Little Big Horn enters the tournament with an 11-18 record. He said that he isn’t worried about Little Big Horn, it is getting his team prepared that is fundamentally important.

“Regardless of who we play, it is about what we do on the floor,” he said. “As long as we are willing to compete and rebound the ball, we should be able to move forward in the tourney. It doesn’t matter who we play or what they do, it is a matter of how we are going to come out and play. If we can do the things that I know we can do, we should be fine.”

The tournament opens up Friday and Saturday with first-round contests. Friday’a action has Gillette College taking on Sheridan College at 1 p.m.; WNCC facing Little Big Horn at 3 p.m., Dawson Community College meeting Casper College at 5 p.m., and Eastern Wyoming College facing Northeastern Junior College at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s action has Central Wyoming facing Lamar Community College at 1 p.m., Otero Junior College meeting Western Wyoming at 3 p.m., McCook Community College facing Miles Community College at 5 p.m. and Northwest College facing Northeast Community College at 7 p.m.

WNCC, if they win, will face the winner of the Otero and Western Wyoming game Sunday at 3 p.m. The semi-finals are slated for Monday.

The Cougar games can be heard on Wild Country 106.9 or on the web at wildcountry1069.com. The games are also being video streamed online from gonjc.com.

WNCC men fall to EWC in regular season finale, will next take part in regional tournament this weekend

TORRINGTON, Wyo -- The Eastern Wyoming College men’s basketball team didn’t have anything to lose Monday and they came out and played one of their best defensive games of the season in registering a commanding win over Western Nebraska Community College 66-46.

The Lancers finish the season at 4-20, including wins over Northwest Wyoming and WNCC in the final weeks of the season.

The Cougars will try to put this loss behind them and move into the Region IX tournament that begins Friday in Sheridan, Wyo. The Cougars, 18-12, will face Lamar Community College on Saturday at 8 p.m.

The story of the game was the Lancers second half defense as they held a potent Cougar team to just six points in the first 16 minutes of the second half. EWC trailed 31-28 at intermission and opened the second 20 minutes with a 12-0 run. WNCC didn’t score their first bucket of the first half until the 12:31 mark on a Geddes Robinson bucket.

“I think we played alright in the first half. We held them to 31 points and our emphasis has been on defense all year,” Lancer assistant coach Joel Taylor said. “We held them to 15 points in the second half and that is what we wanted to do defensively.”

The Lancers were sparked by their two sophomores, Lance Korell and Winston Harris, who combined for 28 points and five 3-pointers.

Taylor said the big key to the game was the play of those two sophomores.

“Those two sophomores and Coach [Casey] Jones not being here, we had a lot to play for besides just a basketball game,” he said. “It was sophomore night for two of our guys and Coach Jones is on the road because he didn’t want to be around because he had a hard time with the suspension, so we put those guys above us, and decided to play 40 minutes for the first time this year.”

For the Cougars, it was second half shooting that did the Scottsbluff team in. After shooting 54 percent in the first half, the Cougars shot just 19 percent in the final 20 minutes (6-of-32).

The Cougars played well in the first half leading 14-6 early on two Joe Stock 3-pointers. EWC came back to take a 22-21 lead on a Korell 3-pointer and held a 28-26 lead, WNCC scored the next five points on two free throws by Robinson and a 3-pointer by Francisco Cruz.

Cruz led the team with 14 points followed by Robinson with 13 points.

Taylor said this win is a testament for the seven players on the team that kept battling through the season.

“We knew we were out of the tournament and we known that for a few weeks now,” Taylor said. “The seven that dressed tonight have known that for a while and to their credit they have come to practice every day, worked their tails off, kept their attitude up, and just wanted to finish on a high note. It is great for our two sophomores, Lance and Winston.”

WNCC (18-12) 31 15 46
EWC (4-26) 28 38 66
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Andre Marone 2, ORion Hughes 4, Joe Stock 9, Ritchie Mundende 4, Francisco Cruz 14, Geddes Robinson 13.
EASTERN WYOMING
Fola Adeleke 5, Lance Korell 14, Zach Young 2, Matt Schackow 8, TK Kairys 6, Winston Harris 14, Ivan Simic 17.

WNCC men top NJC 86-85 in final home game of season, will face EWC Monday in final regular season game

The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team converted on 27 free throws, including 18 in the final three minutes of the game to register an exciting 86-85 win over Northeastern Junior College Sunday at Cougar Palace.

" O'Rion Hughes was 10 of 10 from the free throw line, which was huge and overall we were 27 of 35 and 77 percent from the free throw line, which we made more free throws then they attempted," WNCC coach Russ Beck said. "That is an old coaching adage that when you make more free throws then they attempt, you typically win 80 to 90 percent of the time."

WNCC will try to continue its winning ways Monday when they travel to Eastern Wyoming College in the team's final regular season game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Torrington, Wyo. The contest will also be the Lancer's final game of the year since EWC did not make the regional tournament, while the Cougars will open the regional tournament on Saturday against Lamar Community College.

"All the win Sunday does is gives us a little bit momentum for Monday night's game," Hopefully tomorrow's [Monday] game will give us a little more momentum for the regional tournament. Right now I don't want to worry about Lamar or think how they are doing. I haven't watched film on them since we played them. As soon as tomorrow night's game is over i will be up until the wee hours in the morning trying to prepare for Lamar. All I am focused on right know is going over to Eastern Wyoming and playing the best that we possibly can play and get out of there with a win.

Beck said he wants his team to play well against Eastern and if they can do the things that got them the win Sunday against NJC, they should be O.K.

"This is a very important game for us because this will be Eastern's last game, so it is like the championship game for them," Beck said. "It would be nothing better for them to take a win away from us. Anything, they are going to be prepared for Francisco Cruz. They played a lot of zone against us last game and I am not sure if they want to do that again. We have a lot of guys that are playing with a lot of confidence. We were 7 of 15 from the 3-point are and 46 percent. If they do zone us, we will be prepared to knock down some shots."
WNCC blistered the nets for 44 percent shooting, including going 46 percent from the 3-point area. The Cougars were 7 of 15 from beyond the arc as Joe Stock and Francisco Cruz each made three treys. The other 3-pointer came from Mateus Chavez as the redshirt freshman nailed an NBA 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down to end the first half. WNCC held a slim 34-30 lead at intermission.

After the break, Cruz and Stock each tallied 3-pointers to give the Cougars a 42-38 lead. NJC came back as Jerrell Washington followed Stock's trey with a long-range bomb of his own to give the Plainsmen their first lead of the game since the opening bucket of the game.

WNCC came right back as Cruz buried his second trey of the game, which started a 12-0 run for the Cougars that was capped by Stock's third 3-pointer to put WNCC up 54-43. Cruz's second trey with 15 minutes to play gave the 6-foot-4 sophomore his 1,000 career point. He is one of only 12 players to score 1,000 points in their career at WNCC.

NJC didn't quit as they came back behind the shooting of Widgett Washington, who scored eight points to bring the Plainsmen back to 63-60 with just over 7 minutes to play. WNCC scored the next seven points with strong inside play from Geddes Robinson and Ritchie Mundende to go up 70-63.

The Plainsmen stormed back to get to within a single point, 83-82 on a Jerrell Washington bucket with under 30 seconds to play. Saul Torres put the Cougars up by two with 16.3 seconds with a free throw. NJC then missed a lay-up and Cruz was fouled with 5.8 seconds left. Cruz calmly hit both shots to go up 86-82. Widgett Washington then drained a 3-pointer and then WNCC turned the ball with under a second to play and a last ditch shot just fell short to preserve the win.

"I think overall we played pretty well," Beck said. "I would like us not to turn over the ball so much, but at the same time when a team pressures you for 40 minutes, there will be some inherited turnovers. We just don't like the turnovers that when we are in the half court and we don't give ourselves the opportunity to get a shot on the rim."

The Cougars had four players finish in double figures, led by Cruz and Robinson's 19 points and eight rebounds each. Hughes finished with 18 points, including a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Stock tossed in 11 points.

NJC was led by Widgett Washington who had 33 points, including four 3-pointers.

NJC 30 55 -- 85
WNCC (18-11) 34 52 -- 86
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Dre Calloway 11, Will Bell 15, Widgett Washington 33, Jerrell Washington 10, Trevor Brady 12, Nate Nelson 2, Griffin Brady 2.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Geoffrey Firmin 6, Saul Torres 2, O'Rion Hughes 18, Joe Stock 11, Mateau Chaves 3, Francisco Cruz 19, Brylle Kamen 3, Ritchie Mundende 6, Geddes Robinson 19.

WNCC women win final home game 66-48 over No. 22 Northeastern Colorado

Stormye Everett and Amber Kistler had a memorable last game at Cougar Palace Sunday afternoon. The two Western Nebraska Community College sophomores combined for 36 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Cougar women to a huge 66-48 win over No. 22 Northeastern Junior College.

The win was the Cougars' fifth straight victory heading into this weekend's Region IX tournament in Sterling, Colo.

"This win is huge and I am so excited," said a happy Everett. "We haven't beat NJC in the last two years that I have been here and we finally beat them by 18 in our house. This shows our potential heading into the regional tournament. This was also my last game here so this win meant a lot. I am happy."

What Everett, Kistler and the rest of the Cougar women can be happy about is the way they beat a much taller NJC team. The Cougars out-rebounded the Plainsmen 56-44 and converted 69 percent (18 of 26) free throws. WNCC shot 31 percent for the game, but it was by far better than Northeastern's 26 percent, including just 15 percent from the 3-point area.

"Out-rebounding them was huge," Everett said. "We had a little slump in rebounding and that was how teams were beating us, and now that we know we can outbound teams it will help especially against teams that are bigger than us at regionals."

For a brief moment during the game, NJC looked as if they were going to run away with the contest. WNCC enjoyed an early 7-2 lead only to watch the Plainswomen go on a 15-4 run to take a 17-7 lead. The Cougars didn't fold as they kept playing their game while receiving some clutch buckets by Everett and big rebounding from Hemingford's Shelby Campbell, the smallest player on the court. Campbell finished the first half with six rebounds to lead the team.

What really brought the Cougars back from the 10-point deficit was not giving up. WHCC finished the half on a 11-2 run. Kistler came up big with four free throws and then nailed an NBA 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cougars a 30-26 halftime lead.

"When we were down, we just kept our composure and didn't let the score bother us," Everett said. "We continued to play our game, made stops on defense and limited our turnovers. And, Kistler's 3-pointer was huge. It kept the momentum up and that is what we needed, momentum."

The Cougars carried Kistler's momentum-turning trey into the second half. Yuki Morimoto started things with four four straight technical foul shots after NJC's head coach Darryl Parker was tossed from the game.

NJC fought back slicing the lead to 39-31 on a Dawn Wattley bucket. Kistler brought the Cougars back as the Bayard graduate grabbed a rebound and drove the length of the court for a lay-up and a 45-33 lead. Kistler followed that with her second 3-pointer of the game and then two free throws to go up 50-37.

The Plainswomen made one last ditch effort to come back as Lynnae Cox drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 50-40. WNCC came back to outscore NJC the rest of the way 14-8, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Morimoto and Kistler.

WNCC had three players in double figures. Kistler led the way with 22 points, seven rebounds and 9 of 10 shooting from the free throw line, while Everett had 14 points and nine rebounds. Morimoto finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Hemingford's Campbell finished with nine rebounds and sto steals.

NJC also had three players in double figures led by Maty Diallo with 13 points and eight rebounds. Sabelle Diata had 12 points on 6 of 24 shooting, while Lynnae Cox had 11 points and three 3-pointers.

WNCC, 23-7, will next be in action at the Region IX tournament in Sterling, Colo., where they will face Little Big Horn College on Friday at 3 p.m.

NJC (25-5) 26 22 -- 48
WNCC (23-7) 30 36 -- 66
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Dara Kipp 2, Amy Marin 4, Lynnae Cox 11, Dawn Wattley 6, Sabelle Diata 12, Maty Diallo 13.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Amber Kistler 22, Stormye Everett 14, Yuki Morimoto 16, Tiffany Moorer 6, Carolina Alves 2, Kelli Culver 2, Khayla Gladney 4.

WNCC baseball team drops games against NJC

Submitted by Jeremy Woznick, Star-Herald Sports Reporter

PUEBLO, Colo. - The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader to Northeastern Junior College Saturday afternoon in Pueblo, Colo.

WNCC (1-11) lost by scores of 4-3 and 4-1. Five of the Cougars' losses so far this season have been by just one run.

"We're much better than our record shows," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "We are seeing progress. We just made a few too many errors today, but we are progressing."

WNCC was supposed to host its home opener against Miles City Community College this weekend in Scottsbluff. But the field conditions forced the games to be cancelled.

In Saturday's first game, WNCC plated all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to knot the score at 3-3. But NJC scored the game-winning run in the top of the sixth to sneak out the victory.

JC Morales led WNCC offensively by going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Jason Sloan, Oscar Rodriguez and Jared Baros all had run-scoring singles for the Cougars.

Carlos Luzon pitched well in his first collegiate start. Luzon allowed three runs on seven hits in getting a no decision. He struck out four.

Jacob Stutzman took the loss on the mound. He allowed one run and struck out one in two innings of work out of the bullpen.

In game two, WNCC mustered its lone run in the top of the first when Trace Marsden drove in Elvis Garcia.

Marsden and Shane Wade both went 2-for-3 with doubles. Caleb Patton also had a double in the game for the Cougars.

Carlos Palomo took the loss on the mound. He allowed three runs on just two hits in five innings. Palomo struck out three and walked five.

John Bravard worked one inning in relief and struck out one.

WNCC is scheduled to be back in action Wednesday in Fort Collins, Colo., against the Colorado State University club team. The Cougars will then open Region IX play Saturday at home against Trinidad State Junior College.

Game One
NJC 101 101 0 - 4 11 0
WNCC 000 300 0 - 3 9 3
LP - Jacob Stutzman.

Game Two
WNCC 100 000 0 - 1 7 1
NJC 102 001 x - 4 5 1
LP - Carlos Palomo.
2B - Shane Wade, Trace Marsden, Caleb Patton.

WNCC softball splits with Lamar Community College

LAMAR, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a conference doubleheader with Lamar Community College Saturday in Lamar, Colo.

The Cougars spotted Lamar a 4-0 lead in game one before falling 4-2. In the second contest, the No. 11 ranked Cougars scored the winning run in the seventh inning to prevail 9-8 in a wild contest. The Cougars are now 8-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.

The second game was an offensive slugfest as the Cougars jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Lamar scored twice in the third inning. WNCC held an 8-2 lead but couldn't hold the lead as the Runnin' Lopes tied the contest at 8-8 after six innings.

WNCC fought back in the seventh inning with a single run to earn the split. Stephanie Townsend started the comeback with a one-out double. Then Megan Bourdon lashed a 2-out double to score the go-ahead run.

Townsend then pitched a flawless seventh inning to pick up the win in the circle in relief of Brittany Enterline in the sixth inning.

The Cougars pounded out just eight hits in the contest in scoring their nine runs. Allie Alverson, Adena Hagen and Jordan Schoepflin each had two hits in the win. Hagen had a double, a run scored and a RBI, while Alverson scored two runs. Schoepflin had a run scored and and RBI.

Ashton Hughes also blasted a double, whole Townsend had a double and three runs scored. Katie Groves also scored two runs, while Tonya Atencio had two RBIs.

WNCC committed four errors in game two. They also committed two errors in game one, which proved costly.

Lamar scored a single run in the first first and three more in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead in the opening game. WNCC came back to slice the lead in half with two runs in the sixth. Adena Hagen started things with a double followed by Katie Groves belting a 2-run home run.

Both teams managed just eight hits in the opener. Hagen went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. No other Cougar had more than one hit in the opener.

Taylor Anderson suffered the loss going six inning and scattering eight runs. Anderson struck out three and had just one earned run.

The Cougars will next be in action when they travel to McCook Community College for a conference doubleheader on Wednesday, followed by road trips to Otero Junior College and Garden City March 6 and 7.

Game One

WNCC 000 002 0 -- 2 8 2

Lamar 103 000 x -- 4 8 0

LP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- Adena Hagen

Game Two

WNCC (8-1) 213 200 1 -- 9 8 4

Lamar 000 132 0 -- 8 11 3

WP -- Stephanie Townsend; 2B -- Townsend, Megan Bourdon, Ashton Hughes, Adena Hagen.

WNCC softball team tops Frank Phillips in doubleheader

LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team remained perfect on the season by shutting out Frank Phillips College Friday in Lamar, Colo.

Taylor Anderson tossed a 2-hitter in the opener as the Cougars registered an 8-0 win. Brittany Enterline followed with another dazzling pitching performance while tossing a 5-hitter in the Cougars 9-0 win.

The No. 11-ranked Cougars will return to action Saturday when they face Lamar Community College in a conference doubleheader in Lamar, Colo.

Both games saw some clutch hitting for WNCC. In the opener, the Cougars pounded out 11 hits, including back-to-back home runs by Katie Groves and Stephanie Townsend in the third inning to put WNCC up 3-0.

Groves and Townsend each went 2-for-2. Groves had two runs scored and two RBIs, while Townsend had a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Also collecting multiple hits were Megan Burditt, Allie Alverson and Ashton Hughes. Alverson delivered two RBIs in the contest.

Anderson picked up her third win of the year by limiting Frank Phillips to two hits, while walking two and striking out two.

The second game saw Enterline register her third win as well with a five hit performance. The freshman from Tracy, Calif., struck out four and walked five in seven innings.

Offensively, the Cougars pounded out 12 hits Alverson led the team with a 3-for-4 performance, missing hitting for the cycle by just a home run. Alverson’s triple came in the seventh inning as she scored Jordan Schoepflin. Alverson finished with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Burditt, Schoepflin and Adena Hagen had multiple hits. Schoepflin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Hagen scored two runs and had an RBI.

First game
Frank Phillips 000 00 – 0 2 2
WNCC 012 5x – 8 11 2
WP – Taylor Anderson (3-0); 2B – Stephanie Townsend; HR – Townsend, Katie Groves.

Second Game
WNCC (7-0) 000 232 2 – 9 12 0
Frank Phillips 000 000 0 – 0 5 2
WP – Brittany Enterline (3-0); 2B – Alverson; 3B – Alverson.

WNCC men, women set for final home game

Western Nebraska Community College’s Amber Kistler really hasn’t thought too much about Sunday’s last home contest against Northeastern Junior College. But, in the back of her mind there is some tears starting to develop as the Bayard graduate will be playing her last game at Cougar Palace as well as the Panhandle.

“It hasn't really sunk in yet that this is the last time I will be playing here,” Kistler, the Bayard graduate, said. “I've thought about it a lot, I just want our last home game in Nebraska to be a memorable one. For me, it will be my last game at the Palace and it's kind of sad in a way.”

The WNCC men and women will have their final home game of the season on Sunday as they entertain Northeastern Junior College. The women’s game tips off at 2 p.m. with the men’s game to follow.

The women enter Sunday’s contest at 22-7, while the men are 17-11. Both teams have a number of sophomores that will be playing their last games in Cougar Palace. After Sunday’s contest, the Cougar women will head to the regional tournament in Sterling, Colo., with a 3 p.m. contest against Little Big Horn College.

The men will have one more regular season game left after the NJC contest as they travel to Eastern Wyoming College on Monday. The men will then head to the regional tournament in Sheridan, Wyo. The Cougar men’s first contest at regionals is slated for March 6 at 8 p.m. against Lamar Community College.

Kistler and Stormye Everett are the only two women’s sophomores, while the men have four sophomores that will be finishing up their career at WNCC in Francisco Cruz, Saul Torres, Geddes Robinson and Scott Bamforth. Bamforth started the season before an injury sidelined him for the season.

Kistler is hoping to end her Cougar Palace playing career off in style

“I've played here before high school when I was on the Hickory Husker team when I was 13 so I have played here since then, through high school, and now college,” she said. “It's been an awesome experience since high school conference games, summer league, hosting regionals, and now my final home game Sunday.”
It will not be a tall order for the women’s or men’s team come Sunday against good Northeastern Junior College teams. In fact, the Plainswomen have defeated the Cougars six straight times, including three times last season. NJC defeated the Cougars in January 58-39.

Kistler said they need to be on the top of their game come Sunday.

“To come out on top with a win we have to play good defense and go hard on offense,” We need to get every rebound and every loose ball. We have to play real Cougar basketball. To stop their big girls, we just need to play our defense and rotate on defense also.”

Kistler’s shining moment as a member of the Cougar team was last year after the Cougars came back from a double-digit deficit to defeat Northeast Nebraska by 15 points.

“The most significant memory I have so far is when Coach Harnish came into the locker room after we beat Northeast Nebraska last year to host regionals and won the coin toss,” she said. “We were screaming and yelling, and he smiled at us. I think he was really proud.”

Well, Kistler is hoping to add another shining moment to her athletic career after Sunday.

“We are leaving it all on the court Sunday, we are ready to play like we know how to,” she said. “This Sunday is special to me because it is my last time to play in front of my home crowd, people who care about me, and on the floor I've spent so much time on. It's crazy but I'm ready for it. I can't really describe it right now. I just want to thank everybody who has done anything for us. The teachers, coaches, everybody is so great to us.”

WNCC men's basketball team falls to North Platte

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had North Platte Community College right where they wanted them.

North Platte, however, showed why they are the top team in Region IX with a 24-4 record as they fought back to claim a 67-63 win to secure the No. 1 seed from the East Sub-region. The Cougars, at 17-11, earned the No. 2 seed entering the Region IX tournament, which begins March 5 in Sheridan,Wyo.

“We played pretty good in the first half. I think in the second half we lost a little bit of control. Next game we will get it,” sophomore Geddes Robinson said. “Games like this we should have put them away early and be up by 20 instead of letting it be a close game.”

The Cougars quickly got out of the gate, jumping to an 8-0 lead on a Brylle Kamen offensive rebound and back-to-back 3-pointers by Joe Stock and Francisco Cruz. WNCC pushed the lead to 12-3 on a Robinson driving bucket and a basket by Cruz.

North Platte bounced back, slicing the lead to 15-13 on one occasion before the Cougars cranked it back up to go up 30-21 late in the first half. North Platte didn’t panic as Chase Grabau nailed a 3-pointer and Karol Gruszecki had a bucket to tighten the game up. WNCC went on to lead 34-29 at intermission.

WNCC played well early in the second half as they kept the Knights at bay, taking a 41-32 and held a 51-45 lead with 10 minutes left in the game.

The Knights fought back tying the game at 53-53 with 7:56 left on a Joseph Ragland baseline lay-up. WNCC came right back as Robinson gave the Cougars the lead again. The score was tied a number of times after that. North Platte took their first lead of the contest at 62-61 with 56.8 seconds to play as Rundell Mauge sank one of two free throws.

The Cougars came right back as Cruz nailed two charity tosses with 39.6 seconds to play. After a timeout, Gruszecki drained a 3-pointer from the corner for the Knights biggest lead of the night at 65-63. WNCC called a timeout and a open 3-pointer fell short with six seconds left. Ragland then sealed the game with two free throws with 3.8 seconds.

“We did start strong, but we couldn’t hold them off,” Robinson said. “We need to build a bigger cushion and a bigger lead. We picked up a lot of stupid fouls at the end; a lot of fouls that we didn’t need.”

Cruz and Robinson led the Cougars with 21 and 20 points respectively. Robinson also pulled down 10 rebounds.

North Platte had three players hit double digits. Ragland finished with 23 points, including 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Chase Grabau finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Gruszecki had 13 points.

The WNCC men will look to rebound Sunday and Monday when they finish the regular season. The Cougars will host Northeastern Junior College in a women’s and men’s doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday in what is sophomore recognition day. Then, on Monday, the Cougar men will wrap up the regular season when they travel to Eastern Wyoming College for a 7 p.m. contest.

“We are going to be ready to come out and play a pretty good game [on Sunday] and have more intensity,” Robinson said. “Sometimes I think a loss is good for us that way we can it can pick us back up and make us more hungry. We are taking more baby steps toward a bigger goal. We lost to them by 20 points last time and this time we lost by four, so that is pretty good for us.”

North Platte (24-4) 29 36 – 67

WNCC (17-11) 36 27 – 63

NORTH PLATTE

Dorian Williams 3, Joseph Ragland 23, Brenton Brown 5, Chase Grabau 14, Jordan Weatherford 5, Karol Gruszecki 13, Rundell Mauge 4.

WESTERN NEBRASKA

Geoffrey Firmin 5, Saul Torres 4, O’Rion Hughes 2, Joe Stock 6, Francisco Cruz 21, Brylle Kamen 5, Geddes Robinson 20.

WNCC baseball splits with Otero

WNCC baseball splits with Otero Junior College

LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team picked up its first victory of the season after splitting a non-conference doubleheader with Otero Junior College Wednesday afternoon.

The Cougar men fell in the first game 4-3 before coming back with a 4-0 win in the night cap.

In the second game, WNCC scored three runs In the third inning and then added a single run in the fifth, while pounding out 11 hits. WNCC’s Tim beard picked up the win with a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits.

In the first game, WNCC quickly got behind as Otero scored three runs to open the game before the Cougars sliced the lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning. WNCC scored a run in the seventh.

The Cougars will next be in action Friday when they face Lamar Community College in a non-conference doubleheader in Lamar, Colo.

First Game
WNCC 001 010 1 – 3 7 0
Otero 300 001 x – 4 8 1
WP – Danny Morales.

Second Game
WNCC (1-9) 003 010 0 – 4 11 2
Otero (6-5) 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
WP – Tim Beard, LP – Mike Loseke.

WNCC women turn back EWC 70-65

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team used a 21-0 run in the first half and then held off a furious Eastern Wyoming College second-half rally to register their 22^nd win of the season with a 70-65 victory Tuesday evening at the Verl Petsch Activities Center.

WNCC held a 34-21 lead at intermission as the Lancers made just 3 of 21 3-pointers in the opening half. In the second half, EWC rimmed in 10 3-pointers to come back to take 65-64 lead with 1:46 to play.

The Cougars scored the next six points as the WNCC defense stiffened as Tiffany Moorer and Shelby Campbell converted two free throws a piece, and Stormye Everett hit a bucket with 41 seconds to play to secure the win.

“I think the difference in the first and second half, and we played the same defensively, is that they were 3 of 21 in the first half from the three-point range and in the second half they made the threes. That is the difference,” WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. “They caught fire behind the 3-point line and just started making shots. I think the one good thing we did is every time we get behind in close games is we are able to shot people down in the last two to three minutes.

“I don’t know why we do that all game long. I thought the last three or four of their possessions, we blocked three of their shots and they never did get a good shot up the last minute or two of the game.”

EWC coach Tom Andersen said the team’s shooting in the second half definitely was a spark for the team.

“We shot terrible in the first half. We got some decent looks and some offensive rebounds, but we just couldn’t knock down the shot,” Andersen said. “The second half we got going a little bit, hit a few shots, and that makes a big difference. The kids got excited and we started playing a little better defense. It was a good game right down to the end. I am disappointed in the loss, but I am encouraged by our effort.”

EWC jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead behind a 3-pointer by Danielle Brown. WNCC put the clamps on that run as they went on a 21-0 run over the next 11 minutes as Tiffany Moorer and Yuki Morimoto hit clutch shots.

WNCC also got clutch performances from the bench during the run as Kelli Culver nailed a 3-poitner and then Carolina Alves had an offensive putback for a 24-7 lead. Marque Lunderman stopped the run with two free throws with 5:53 left in the half as WNCC led 34-21 at halftime.

Moorer connected on back-to-back buckets to start the second half. WNCC held a 12-point lead, 46-34, with 11 minutes to play on an Amber Kistler bucket and kept the lead around eight points for most of the second half. WNCC led 58-48 with seven minutes to play on three Campbell free throws.

EWC came back as they went on a 9-0 run as Danielle Brown and April Johnson each canned 3-pointers, cutting the lead to 58-57. Campbell stopped the run with a driving bucket and then Morimoto hit her first bucket of the second half to up the score to 62-57.

Back came EWC as Johnson nailed her fourth trey of the game followed by a 3-pointer by Lunderman to come within one point. EWC then took their first lead since early in the game on two free throws by Johnson before being held scoreless the final 1:46 of the game.

Andersen said that against a tall team like the Cougars, they did live and die by the 3-pointer. EWC shot 29 percent (13 of 45) from beyond the arc. The Lancers made 10 3-pointers in the second half and just two 2-pointers.

WNCC, on the other hand, shot 45 percent from the field for the game and was 18 of 27 from the free throw line. Campbell was 8 of 10 from the charity stripe to lead both teams. The Hemingford graduate finished with 10 points.

The Cougars had three other players in double figures, led by Morimoto with 14 points, Moorer with 13 and Stormye Everett with 12.

EWC also had four players in double figures. Jessica Brown and April Johnson each had 14 points, while Jayda Schilling and Danielle Brown each had 11 points.

The Lancers will next be in action Saturday when they host Otero Junior College at 5:30 p.m. to close out the regular season. WNCC will close out the regular season Sunday against Northeastern Junior College at Cougar Palace. Tip-off for the Cougar women’s game is set for 2 p.m.

WNCC (22-7) 34 36 – 70
EWC (14-15) 31 44 – 65
EASTERN WYOMING
Jayda Schelling 11, Koel Hall 5, Jessica Brown 14, April Johnson 14, Marque Lunderman 7, Danielle Brown 11, Sarah Smith 3.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Amber Kistler 4, Stormye Everett 12, Shelby Campbell 10, Yuki Morimoto 14, Ariane Brown 2, Tiffany Moorer 13, Carolina Alves 2, Thais Pinto 8, Kelli Culver 5.

WNCC's Cruz verbally committs to become a Wyoming Cowboy

Western Nebraska Community College’s Francisco “Paco” Cruz spent Saturday watching the University of Wyoming play No. 13 BYU University and dreaming of someday maybe scoring points in the “Arena.”

Saturday’s visit to Laramie, Wyo., for the 6-foot-4 WNCC sophomore was the deciding factor on his college choice as he verbally committed to become a Wyoming Cowboy and help rebuild a Wyoming basketball program. Sunday’s decision brought to an end the season-long bombardment of coaches trying to get his basketball talents for the next two seasons.

“I really liked the campus and I really liked the people, players and coaches. I just felt good about it,” Cruz said. “It is a good place where I am going to play and a good conference. I think we can be successful in a couple years.”

Wyoming definitely wanted Cruz to become a Cowboy as the head and assistant coach spent many days and nights in Cougar Palace watching him put up numbers. Cruz also was entertaining interest from the University of Montana, California-Riverside and Coastal Carolina.

“The head and assistant coach was watching me all the time. They really wanted me,” Cruz said. “Going to Wyoming is closer to home and it is the highest level to play in. I just feel good about it and hope everything will work out.”

WNCC head coach Russ Beck said Wyoming is a perfect fit for Cruz.

“Paco can play at a lot of different levels and I do like the way Wyoming went about recruiting him. They identified a need they have in finding someone for the wing position that can shoot and understands how to play. Wyoming has a relative young team and they have a lot of potential, and adding another shooter like Paco helps their team step to a new level. I think it is a good opportunity for him.

“The Mountain West is a very competitive conference with the likes of UNLV, BYU and New Mexico, all teams that have been ranked at some part of the year, and they will get three teams into the NCAA tournament. Wyoming is building towards that end to get to the NCAA tournament. I am excited for him and I am excited for Wyoming and their staff.”

Wyoming plays in the Mountain West Conference, which features two top 15 teams – BYU at No. 11 and New Mexico at No. 12.

“It will be hard next year because it is one of the best conferences in the country,” Cruz said. “I hope I can play as good as I am playing here. I hope everything works out good.”

Beck said attending Wyoming, which is less than three hours from Scottsbluff, will give a lot of people an opportunity to watch and follow him.

“I think the closeness was a big part of his decision. He is close to his high school coach and close to Denver where he played high school basketball,” Beck said. “He is also close to Scottsbluff and the people he knows here. All of us can enjoy his two year career at Wyoming.”

Cruz is having one of those MVP campaigns this season. As a freshman, Cruz had 41 3-pointers and 460 points, while being named the college’s male most valuable athlete.

This season, the sophomore is averaging 20.3 points a game with 63 3-pointers made this season. Earlier this year, Cruz became only the 10^th player in school history to score over points in a game when he scored 41 in a win against Eastern Wyoming.

For his 2-year career at WNCC, Cruz has made 104 3-pointers and scored 967 points. Cruz needs just 31 points to become only the 12^th player in school history to finish with over 1,000 points for his career. Last player to achieve that goal was Tommie King back in 1998-2000, when he scored 1,086 points. King went on to play at Iowa State University.

Cruz is also pulling down 5.7 rebounds a game and shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 77.6 from the charity stripe. Cruz is hitting on 44.4 percent of his 3-point shots (63 of 142).

Cruz said that he will be playing a shooting guard when he attends the Wyoming. He added that his game improved a lot under Beck.

“My game has improved a lot,” he said. “I am making a lot of shots this year and I am able to penetrate a little more this year. I am also trying to play defense a little bit more.”

The verbal commitment means that Cruz don’t have to worry about entertaining phone calls from coaches; now he can concentrate on leading the team through the rest of the season.

“I am glad to get the decision out of the way because I don’t have to worry any more about it,” he said. “I just have to worry about the season and finish strong.”

The Cougar men will entertain North Platte Community College on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a contest that will decide the East Sub-region champion. If the Cougars defeat North Platte by 15 points, they will win the sub-region and the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament. Otherwise, they will be No. 2 out of the sub-region.

WNCC, 17-10, has been playing well since falling to the Knights back on Feb. 5 and a big key to that streak of four straight wins is because of their defense.

“We are playing more aggressive defense and that is helping us win,” he said. “We put on a lot of ball pressure and that is helping us play really hard on defense.”