MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team started slow, but used a late first-quarter run and went on to down McCook Community College 72-61 in a Region IX South Sub-region contest.

                WNCC moves to 21-6 on the year and to 5-3 in conference play. The Cougars will next be in action Tuesday when they host North Platte Community College in a women’s and men’s doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m.

                The win also snapped a 3-game losing skid for the Cougar women.

                Friday night it wasn’t easy as McCook started hot in the first quarter before WNCC went on a 12-0 to 24-17 after one quarter.

                The second quarter saw the Cougar women play strong defense as they expanded on the lead to grab a 37-25 lead.

                WNCC came out and outscored McCook 19-15 in the third and pushed the lead to 56-40 after three quarters and kept the lead around 10 or more in the fourth quarter to get the win.

                WNCC shot 39 percent for the field, made seven 3-pointers (23.3 percent and made 11-of-12 free throws (91.7 percent). The Cougars outrebounded MCC 39-30.

                The Indians shot 46.3 percent from the field, made four triples and were 7-of-12 from the charity stripe.

                WNCC had a balanced scoring night with four in double figures. Amiyah Donaldson led the way with 21 points  with three 3-pointers. Ebere Egbirika tallied 14 points with seven rebounds while Helena Kuck had 12 points with four triples. Mackenzie Joseph finished with 10 points with seven boards.

WNCC                 24 13 19 16 – 72

McCook              17 8 15 21 – 61

WNCC

Helena Kuck 12, Gal-La Font 6, Mackenzie Joseph 10, Adelina Urtane 2, Amiyah Donaldson 21, Ebere Egbirika 14, Kayla Cervantes 4, Laura Montiel 2, Jamie Caron 1.

MCCOOK
N. Chorda Iglesias 7, Rebecca Dunn 9, Suzan Sisman 14, Audra Vine 12, G. Guettner Bacoul 14, Madara Liepniece 2, Carlotte Aliaga Alonso 1, Bri Hunter 2.

WNCC men come back to take down McCook

                MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team was on the brink of defeat before a big second quarter run allowed the Cougars to top McCook Community College 74-69 in Region IX South Sub-region action.

                The win keeps the Cougars in the hunt to win the south sub-region and host the regional tournament, something the Cougars haven’t done since 2012. WNCC is 19-8 on the season and 8-1 in conference play and tied with Trinidad State College.

                WNCC had an 8-point lead over the first three minutes of the game. McCook took charge responded with a 17-16 lead eight minutes into the game and outscored the Cougars 22-9 over the final 12 minutes of the first half to take a 39-25 lead at intermission.

                WNCC rolled out of the locker room to start the second half and cut the lead to 39-32 on a Maurice Walker 3-pointer. After that, McCook went on a big run and led 51-32. The Cougars started coming back as WNCC trailed 57-46 with 10:56 to play.

                WNCC couldn’t get to within single digits as McCook went up 64-51 with 6:40 to play and led 66-55 on a dunk with 6:10 left. That was when WNCC made a run as Kayden Nation hit a 3-pointer and then JJ Harris followed with another triple to make it 66-61.

                McCook got another dunk to go up 68-61 with five minutes left. Travis Easterly, Jr., brought the Cougars back to 68-65 with back-to-back with four minutes remaining. McCook made one of two free throws for a 69-65 lead. Anthony Simo hammered home a dunk for a 2-point deficit and then Nation hit two free throws to tie the game at 69 with three minutes to play.

                Easterly, Jr., hit a bucket with 2:15 to play to give the Cougars their first lead since early in the first half at 71-69. No one scored again for the next two minutes until Simo hit two free throws with 14.9 seconds remaining for the 73-69 lead. Harris buried a free throw with six seconds to seal the win.

                WNCC shot 44 percent from the field and buried 10-pointers led by Nation with four and Harris with three. Walker had two triples.

                McCook shot 48 percent from the field and nailed six treys. The difference was free throws as McCook was just 5-of-15 from the stripe.

                WNCC was out-rebounded 44-29 with Simo collecting nine boards for the Cougars.

                WNCC had three in double digits, led by Harris with 18 followed by Nation with 17 and Willie Wilson with 11.

WNCC                 25 49 – 74

McCook              39 30 – 69

WNCC

JJ Harris 18, Maurice Walker 8, Willie Wilson 11, Travis Esterly, Jr. 8, Stephen Ovia 2, Anthony Simo 10, Kayden Nation 17.

MCCOOK

Ty Foster 9, Zeki Cavli 15, Louie Tucker 8, Bryan Akanmu 2, Thabo Manyere 12, Martel Evans 15, Brandon Kabuya Mpoyi 8.