GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team snapped a 4-game losing skid with an impressive win over North Dakota State College of Science 91-89 in the first day of the Holiday Inn Express Classic in Gillette, Wyoming on Thursday.

                The Cougars put five players in double figures in the win and buried 14 3-pointers in claiming the win.

                Kellon Harris led the way with 18 points with seven boards in the win. Elijah Burney followed with 16 points and went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.

                Mathiang Maker tallied 13 points including a second-half, backwards dunk, while Toms Linis had 12 points with four 3-pointers, and Elijah Hollins had 10 points with seven boards.

                WNCC will be back in action on Friday when they face United Tribes Technical College in the second day of the tourney before finishing of the classic with a Saturday contest against Miles Community College.

                WNCC got off to a fast start as the Cougars scored the first 11 points of the game in less than two minutes on two Toms Linis 3-pointers and a triple by Harris. Harris also had a dunk to make it 11-0.

                WNCC led 22-14 in the first when NDSCS went on a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the contest with six minutes to play in the opening half. Hollins put the Cougars back on top with a 3-pointer, which was short-lived as NDSCS score to go back in top.

                Mathiang Maker followed with a triple to put the Cougars back up 30-28. The Wildcats responded with a 5-0 run to lead 33-30. The Cougars did the same, going on an 8-point run to lead 38-33. It was a 43-41 lead late when the Cougars went on a 6-0 run and led 49-44 at intermission.

                The second half saw NDSCS make it close early on at 57-54 and then later 69-65. WNCC had answers each time the Wildcats made a run. WNCC led by double digits at 78-68 after a Linis 3-pointer and led by 12 points at 84-72 on a Hollins trey.

                NDSCS battled back to make it 86-82 with two minutes to play and made it a 1-point contest, 87-86 with 1:26 6o play. Hollins hit one a free throw and then Burney nailed two charity tosses with 25 seconds to play to make it 90-86. NDSCS hit a triple with 13 seconds to play for a 90-89 lead. Burney then hit one of two free throws for the 2-point lead and NDSCS had a chance to win the game but a 3-pointer just came inches short of going in, giving the Cougars the win.

                WNCC shot just 30 percent from the field and made 14 3-pointers. NDSCS shot 47 percent but made just five triples. Free throw shooting kept the Wildcats in the contest, going 26-of-36 while WNCC was 17-of-20 from the charity stripe.

WNCC (3-7)                    49 42 -- 91
NDSCS (5-5)                   44 45 – 89
WNCC
Reece Randolph 5, Kellon Harris 18, Elijah Hollins 10, Dorin Nguema 2, Toms Linis 12, Noah Jones 2, Isaiah St. Preux 8, Caleb Swisher 3, Mathiang Maker 13, Elijah Burney 16, Witold Czerenkiewicz 2.
NDSCS
Alex Troutman 4, Nidas Paulauskas 27, Khalif Bettis 9, Jikany Deang 22, Shadmaan Khan 2, Johnathan Clamese 16, Sebastian Mackey 4, Mikkel Cintron 5.