Daniel Bula scored 21 points to match his uniform number, but it was his shot with 1.2 seconds remaining that gave the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team a thrilling 73-71 Region IX South Sub-region win over Lamar Community College Thursday night at Cougar Palace.

                The win moves the Cougars to 14-12 on the season and to 5-4 in the South Sub-region, which is a half-game ahead of Otero, Northeastern Junior College, and McCook, who all at 4-4. The NJC and McCook game that was slated for Thursday night was postponed until Friday because of weather.

                Daniel Bula said this was a huge win for the Cougars, who have fallen in several 2-point games this season.

                “We played together and we went on some runs and we stayed together when they went on some runs,” Bula said.

                The final five minutes was heart-pounding as the game seemed as if it would go to overtime.

                WNCC had a 65-56 lead with 5:31 to play after a 4-point play by Maurice Walker when he was fouled making a 3-pointer. After that, Lamar went on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 69-69 with 56.1 seconds to play.

                Bula said when they tied it, the team knew this was their game and they played tough.

                “I knew it was our game,” he said. “I said this is our game with the energy in front of the home crowd. We played together and we played well.”
                Biko Johnson hit two free throws with 30 seconds to play for a 71-69 lead. Lamar came back as Kris Cook nailed two free throws with 14 seconds to play to knot it at 71. WNCC called a timeout with 7.7 seconds and set up a play and Bula got the ball around the top of the paint and buried the bucket for the 73-71 lead with 1.2 seconds. A last second, half-court shot by Lamar came inches of going in for a game-winner, but it didn’t.

                WNCC trailed at halftime 30-29 on a last second shot by Lamar in a half that saw the Cougars battle back from a 21-11 deficit when they scored 11 straight on five points from Carl Thorpe and four points from Biko Johnson. WNCC led 22-21 and then both teams traded buckets. Walker hit a 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 29-28 lead before the last-second shot by Lamar gave them the halftime lead.

                The Cougars then came out in the second half and vaulted to a 44-35 lead behind a Thorpe bucket and led 54-41 on five points from Stephen Ovia. WNCC then committed two technical and Lamar buried four free throws that helped them come back to within 59-54. Biko Johnson hit a jumper to put WNCC up 61-54 and then Walker had his 4-point play for the 65-56 lead.

                The two teams were even shooting. WNCC shot 43 percent from the field while gong 8-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Cougars also went 17-of-25 from the free throw line. Lamar went 40 percent from the field and made just 7-of-18 3-pointers while burying 16-of-22 free throws.

                WNCC won the battle off the bench 30-15 and also won the points off turnovers battle 28-14.

                WNCC had four players in double figures led by Bula with 21 points and three 3-pointers. Thorpe tallied 15 points with two treys, while Johnson has 12 points and 8-of-14 from the charity stripe. Maurice Walker finished with 11 points and two treys.

                The WNCC men will be back in action Saturday when they host McCook Community College in a crucial South Sub-region contest at 4 p.m. or after the women’s contest.

Lamar                    30 41 – 71

WNCC                   29 44 – 73

LAMAR
DeAngelo Horn 9, Meechie Terry 7, Dorien Goodman 9, Kris Cook 26, Brycon Stephens 8, Abel Maes 8, Conner Landell 4.
WNCC
CJ Johnson 5, Biko Johnson 12, Carl Thorpe 15, Stephen Ovia 7, Daniel Bula 21, Maurice Walker 11, Zach O’Callaghan 2.

WNCC women roll to a 73-37 win

                The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team ran out to a 29-2 first quarter lead and never looked back as the Cougar women rolled to a 73-37 win Thursday night at Cougar Palace in a South Sub-region contest.

                With the win, the Cougar women move to 19-8 on the season and 7-1 in conference play. WNCC needs a win Saturday to win the South sub-region and host the Region IX tournament March 9-11.

                It was the team’s defense that helped the Cougars to the big first quarter. WNCC sophomore Rashaan Smith, who had two blocked shots in the game, said they played well and had good defense.

                “I think we played very well,” Rashaan Smith said. “I think we shared the ball a lot and I think individually and as a team had a great day.”

                Smith said the first half start was something that the team needed as they get ready to close out the regular season.

                “We have been working hard on defense lately so I guess all that hard work paid off,” Smith said. “This is a very big win and it is a good confidence booster to beat teams like that.”

                WNCC played strong defense with the fast start, holding Lamar to 14 percent shooting from the field and just 9% from beyond the arc in the opening half. WNCC shot 70 percent from the field in the opening half and buried 7-of-11 treys. WNCC led 45-11 at halftime.

                The first quarter saw WNCC five 3-pointers as Jayla Owen and Mackenzie Joseph started the game with back-to-back treys. Owen followed with her second and then Yara Garcia nailed a trey to make the score 18-1. Shiho Isono closed out the first half with a 3-pointer and the 29-2 lead. Lamar’s two points were on free throws.

                The second quarter saw WNCC jump to a 32-2 lead before Lamar made their first field goal with 6:50 to play. WNCC ran off another eight straight points including a 3-pointer by Joseph for a 40-4 lead. Bre Fowler added to the trey list with a 3-pointer of her own as they led 45-11 at halftime.

                The third quarter was low scoring as WNCC outscored Lamar 9-8, but the fourth quarter was the Cougars as they went on a 14-3 run to start the fourth to lead 68-22 and never looked back.

                WNCC controlled the game from the get-go as they won the points-off-the-bench battle at 29-13 and also the points-off-turnovers 23-11.

                WNCC had four players in double digits with Smith leading the way with 14 points and nine rebounds. Owen finished with 13 points while Garcia and Fowler each had 11 points. Garcia and Fowler each had two treys. Garcia also had eight rebounds.

                The WNCC women will be back in action Saturday when they host McCook Community College beginning at 2 p.m.

                Smith said the team needs to play like they did Thursday night to get the win over McCook and then on Feb. 25 against Northeastern Junior College at Cougar Palace to wrap up the regular season. The NJC game is slated for a 2 p.m. start.

                “We just have to do what we did tonight (Thursday) and that was play good defense, share the ball, and just play normal Cougar ball,” Smith said.

Lamar                    2 9 8 18 – 37

WNCC                   29 16 9 19 – 73
LAMAR
Darling Harris 2, Jada Dupree 4, Emily Schumacher 3, Jami Jo Quick 5, Shanah Estangel 6, Arianna Aguirre 6, Alexi Hoy 5, Alissa Hebberd 6.

WNCC

Shiho Isono 7, Jayla Owen 13, Yara Garcia 11, Emmie Persson-Bandh 2, Bre Fowler 11, Mackenzie Joseph 7, Ola Duda 6, Faith Walker 2, Rashaan Smith 14.