EPHRAIM, Utah – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team had a tale of two days in their season-opening classic over the weekend in Ephraim, Utah, at the Snow Classic.
On Friday, the Cougars gave No. 7 Salt Lake Community College all they had and then some in falling to the Bruins 109-104 in double overtime. On Saturday, the host team Snow College earned a 112-67 win.
WNCC will be back in action Wednesday when they host Eastern Wyoming College in a 6 p.m. start.
Friday's game with Salt Lake was one where the Cougars fell behind 41-25 at halftime and then outscored the Bruins 60-44 in the second half. With under a minute to play, WNCC trailed 88-85 when Salt Lake missed free throws. WNCC got the rebound and Toms Linis attempted a 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play but was fouled. Linis netted all three charity tosses to tie the game and the game went into overtime.
Late in the first overtime, Salt Lake led 92-90 when Elijah Burney nailed two free throws to tie the game. Salt Lake made one of two free throws with 43 seconds to play. WNCC took their first lead of the overtime at 94-93 as Mathiang Maker got a one-handed offensive rebound tip-in. Salt Lake came back down and nailed 1 of 2 free throws with 19 seconds to play to tie the contest at 94 to force a second overtime.
Salt Lake went up by eight in the second overtime at 104-96 but the Cougars came back to get it within 104-100 on two technical shots by Elijah Hollins and then a bucket by Maker. WNCC came within 108-104 late when Reece Randolph made one of his four 3-pointers, but that wasn't enough.
WNCC had six players in double figures, led by Hollins with 22 followed by 16 points each from Maker and Randolph. Burney had 15 points while Kellon Harris and Linis each had 12 points.
WNCC had 41 rebounds with Maker grabbing 11 and Harris getting 10.
Salt Lake had two players combine for 70 points as Mason Bendinger had 45 and Trey Brown had 25.
Saturday's contest with Snow saw the Badgers jump out to a 53-33 halftime lead and never looked back.
WNCC shot 36 percent from the field and buried six treys. Snow shot 59 percent from the field and had 15 3-pointers.
The Cougars had just one in double figures as Hollins tallied 20 points with three treys. Hollins, Harris, and Caleb Swisher each had a 3-pointer in the contest.
Friday's Game
WNCC 25 60 9 10 – 104
Salt Lake 41 44 9 15 – 109
WNCC
Kellon Harris 12, Elijah Hollins 22, Mathiang Maker 16, Elijah Burney 15, Toms Linis 12, Reece Randolph 16, Isaiah St. Preux 4, Kendrick Preston 7.
Saturday's Game
WNCC 33 34 – 67
Snow 53-59 – 112
WNCC
Kellon Harris 9, Elijah Hollins 20, Mathiang Maker 9, Elijah Burney 9, Toms Linis 2, Noah Jones 2, Reece Randolph 6, Isaiah S. Preux 4, Caleb Swisher 3, Kendrick Preston 1, Dorin Niguema 2.