LAJUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team picked up their fourth straight victory and stayed in the hunt to win the South Sub-region with an impressive 89-82 win over Otero College Friday in LaJunta, Colorado.

                WNCC moves to 15-8 overall and more importantly to 5-1 in sub-region play. Trinidad State is a half game in front of the Cougars at 6-1 in conference play. WNCC will look for their fifth straight victory when they travel to Northeastern Junior College Tuesday in Sterling, Colorado. NJC is 3-2 in conference play.

                Friday’s win saw WNCC lead for almost 99 percent of the contest. WNCC led 44-41 at halftime.

                In the second half, the Cougars built a 62-55 lead on a Maurice Walker 3-pointer. Shortly afterwards, the Cougars went up by 10, 69-59 with 6:30 to play on a JJ Harris triple. Kayden Nation popped a trey moments later for a 75-62 lead with 4:10 to play.

                Otero cut the deficit to 79-73 with 53 seconds to play. WNCC led 83-77 with 30 seconds left in the game and then Harris hit four free throws and Anthony Simo hit two charity tosses with seconds remaining for the 89-82 win.

                WNCC shot 47 percent from the field and buried nine 3-pointers. Harris had 23 points to lead the team with four 3-pointers in the win with 11 rebounds and five assists. Harris was 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Simo followed with 17 points and going 9-of-10 from the free throw line.  

                Walker tallied 13 points with three triples while Nation had 12 points and two 3-pointers.

WNCC                 44 45 – 89

Otero                    41 41 – 82

WNCC
JJ Harris 23, Maurice Walker 13, Anthony Simo 17, Willie Wilson 2, Travis Easterly, Jr. 11, Stephen Ovia 7, Daniel Bula 4, Kayden Nation 12.

OTERO

Isaiah Poindexter 7, Rhoman Eyere 2, Elijah McNeil 8, Lason Walker 16, Ty Burbank 3, Felipe Carter 6, Tay Mosher 23, Jamir Todd 4, Keylane Lasisi 6, Anthony Harris, Jr. 7.

WNCC women fall to Otero

                LAJUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team were out-scored 26-7 in the fourth quarter in falling to Otero College in a Region IX South sub-region contest Friday evening in LaJunta, Colorado.

                The loss stops a 5-game win streak and moves the Cougars to 20-4 overall and 4-1 in the south sub-region. WNCC will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Northeastern Junior College for a South Sub-region contest.

                WNCC didn’t have the best shooting night in shooting 37 percent from the field while Otero was 44 percent. Both teams buried six 3-pointers.

                Otero started off going up 7-2 before WNCC took the lead at 8-7. Otero came back on a 9-0 run to lead 16-8 and led after the first quarter 18-15.

                The second quarter saw the Cougars outscore Otero 18-13 and lead at halftime 33-31.

                WNCC continued playing well in the third quarter, outscoring the Rattlers 18-14 and led 51-46 after three periods. The fourth quarter was not a good one for WNCC as Otero scored the first six points to take a 52-51 lead. The score was 57-56 when Otero went on a 13-0 run to lead 70-56 over nearly a four-minute period for the win.

                WNCC had three players in double figures, led by Gal-La Font and Mackenzie Joseph each with 13 points. Font also had seven rebounds. Ebere Egbirika finished with 10 points.

WNCC                 15 18 18 7 – 58

Otero                    18 13 14 26 – 71

WNCC

Amiyah Donaldson 3, Ebere Egbirika 10, Helena Kuck 3, Gal-La Font 13, Mackenzie Joseph 13, Laura Montiel 8, Kiley Smich 4, Adelina Urtane 4.

OTERO

Anna Cera Curiel 7, Alyssa Trujillo 5, Gia Bradley 17, Nyla Owens 5, Hedda Kohne 21, Alexa Peraza 5, Jayden Jenkins 6, Katia Nekic 5.