TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a poor night shooting as Colorado Northwestern Community College buried 17 3-pointers and captured the 97-55 win Saturday at the Coco-Cola Invite in Twin Falls, Idaho.
                The 22 second-half points that the Cougars scored is the fifth lowest second-half output in school history. The record is 17 points scored in the second half set in 1973-74 followed by two 20-point second half scoring against Air Force JV in 1991-92 and Northeastern Junior College in 2014, and 21 points against Eastern Wyoming in 2002.
                Shooting was the big difference in the contest where CNCC shot 46.3 percent from the field while connecting on 17 3-pointers. WNCC shot 28.8 percent and buried just 6-of-28 triples.
                WNCC had just one player in double figures as Elijah Hollins had 16 points with three 3-pointers in the game. CNCC had four in double figures with 24 points coming from Santiago Casarin along with seven 3-pointers.
                And while the score might look one-sided, it wasn’t especially early. The Cougars led just once in the contest at 5-4 on a Hollins 3-pointer. The two teams were tied at 12-12 on a Noah Jones bucket with 12 minutes left in the opening half.
                Later, CNCC held a 20-17 lead and went on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 29-17. The Cougars fought back to make it a 5-point contest at 29-24 on a Wetold Czerenkiewicz field goal. CNCC followed with a 12-3 run and led 43-33 at halftime.
                The second half saw WNCC score the opening bucket on Kellon Harris’ only bucket of the game. After that, the Spartans went on a 15-2 run to lead 58-37 and the Cougars didn’t get back-to-back buckets on free throws by Isaiah St. Preux and Caleb Swisher to make it 89-55.
                The Cougars will have a week off as they will finish off the first semester with four games in December. The Cougars will next be in action December 5-7 when they head to Gillette, Wyoming for a 3-day tourney when they face North Dakota State College of Science, Little Big Horn, and Miles Community College. The Cougars will then wrap up the fist semester with a home game on December 10 against Casper College at 6:30 p.m.
 
WNCC (2-7)    33 22 – 55
CNCC (8-1)     43 54 – 97
WNCC
Kellon Harris 2, Elijah Hollins 16, Mathiang Maker 6, Elijah Burney 6, Kendrick Preston 2, Noah Jones 3, Reece Randolph 3, Isaiah St. Preux 7, Caleb Swisher 3, Dorin Nguema 2, Witold Czerenkiewicz 5.
CNCC
Cole Johnson 9, Santiago Casarin 24, Jamir Todd 9, Tyler Christensen 10, Mason Mickelsen 10, Deacon Poole 5, Elijah Kersey 3, Carson Forsey 5, Trey Johnson 6, Arthur Videira 4, Mitch Jeppesen 12.
 
WNCC women battle No. 8 CSI before falling
 
                TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team gave No. 8 College of Southern Idaho a run for their money Saturday in the final day of the Coco-Cola Invitational in Twin Falls, Idaho.
                It was a game that was closer than the final score as CSI posted the 61-50 win.
                Lidia Hernandez had a huge stat line for the Cougars as the 5-foot-7 guard posted a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds along with three steals.
                Two other Cougars also netted double figures as Helena Kuck and Adelina Urtane each had 10 points. Kuck buried three 3-pointers while Urtane had a double-double with 10 rebounds to go with her 10 points.
                The difference in the game was shooting as the Cougars shot just 27.4 percent from the game and were 6-of-33 from behind the arc. CSI wasn’t that much better, shooting 31.9 percent and just 4-of-21 from the 3-point line.
                The Cougars did win the rebound battle 49-46 as Hernandez and Urtane combined for 25 rebounds.
                The first quarter was also a big factor as CSI ran out to an 8-0 lead and the Cougars didn’t get their first points until 3:06 left in the quarter on two Urtane free throws. The Cougars also hit their first field goal with a minute left in the quarter on a Zozefine Sipolina 3-pointer. WNCC did make it 11-8 after the first when Urtane buried a triple.
                The second quarter saw CSI lead 18-12 when the Cougars took their first lead of the game when Hernandez had an old-fashioned 3-point play followed by a 3-pointer by Kuck. Laura Montiel then hit a free throw with 3:22 left in the half for the 19-18 lead. WNCC couldn’t hold it as CSI hit a late 3-pointer to lead 23-20 at halftime.
                The third quarter saw the Cougars grab their biggest lead of the game at 31-26 behind back-to-back 3-pointers by Kuck and a bucket by Nataly Dunka. CSI responded as they went on an 8-3 run to lead 38-33 after three.
                The fourth quarter was a battle as WNCC grabbed a 46-42 lead with just over two minutes to play. That was when the shooting woes hit for the Cougars and CSI went on a 13-0 run to lead 59-46 before winning 61-50.
                WNCC, 6-2, will be back in action Tuesday when they host Central Wyoming College in a 5:30 p.m. game at Cougar Palace. The Cougars will then head to Salt Lake City for a Thanksgiving Classic when they face Utah State Eastern on Friday, No. 18 Salt Lake Community College on Saturday and Dawson Community College on Sunday.   
 
WNCC (6-2)                    8 12 14 16 – 50
CSI (5-1)                            11 12 15 23 – 61
WNCC
Lidia Hernandez 15, Helena Kuck 10, Laura Montiel 3, Zozefine Sipolina 7, Nataly Dunka 5, Adelina Urtane 10.
CSI
Kennedy Gillette 10, Mariah Mons 3, Samara Morrow 18, Kayla Kasabuchi 5, Ashley Garner 6, Chloe Jensen 3, Savannah Stoker 10, Falon Bedke 6.