The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team stayed alive for a chance to win the sub-region or get a first-round home playoff game with a hard-fought win Friday night over McCook Community College 84-78.
The Cougars move to 11-15 overall and 6-4 in the South Sub-region, just a game behind Trinidad State College in the loss column. The Cougars have two sub-region games left with Lamar Community College coming to Cougar Palace on Friday, February 28 followed by a road trip to Northeastern Junior College on March 1.
WNCC coach Roybell Baez said the win was a good win for his team, who hit big shots when they needed while playing tough defense.
"This time of the year, like the other night, a win is a win," Baez said. "The main goal is to get out of here with a win. We did that tonight and it was definitely a rough and tough game. I thought we needed that type of a game. Every other game is finesse and everyone is cool and I thought tonight it was about who is tougher. I thought our guys were tough. I called them out all night and they responded and as a coach that is all you can ask for.
"I look at these stats and Kellon Harris has 11 rebounds. He was huge tonight and so was Elijah Hollins. Kellon is playing hard, but I thought he made a tough play after play. Maker didn't have the best night and we just found a way. With Burney fouling out. There was a point with two minutes left I was saying lets just get out of here alive."
While Kellon Harris and Elijah Hollins led the team with 23 points, Harris with a double-double with 11 rebounds as well, Baez said the real unsung hero in the win was Toms Linis, who had just 10 points but kept battling and battling.
"I will say this the unsung hero tonight to me was Toms Linis," he said. "He was 2-for-3 from threes, 2-for-2 from the free throw line. He has making so many plays lately and he is all over the floor. He takes charges. He has been guarded. I called him out after the break having to play better defense and he has been our energy guy. Kudos to him and what he does doesn't show in the stat sheet because that is what everyone looks for and he does things that you don't see in the stats."
The game itself was a battle early on in the first half. WNCC held a 15-13 lead on two Hollins technical foul shots. After that, McCook went on a 12-3 run to lead 25-18. WNCC came right back with a 9-0 run of their own to lead 27-25 on a Linis 3-pointer. After McCook tied the game at 27, Linis his second trey.
McCook tied it once again with a trey, but Isaiah St. Preux hit s bucket and then Harris had a dunk to put the Cougars up 34-30. McCook responded with a 6-0 run for a 36-34 lead. St. Preux stopped the run with a triple and Mathiang Maker had a dunk for a 39-36 lead. WNCC led at half as Reece Randolph hit a bucket just before the buzzer for the 41-37 lead.
The second half was just like the first, a string of runs. WNCC had a 6-point lead at 55-49 on two technical shots by Harris. McCook came back with an 8-0 run to lead 57-55 with 12:31 to play. WNCC responded with an 8-0 run to lead 63-57.
McCook cut the deficit late to 74-73 with 2:27 to play. That was when the Cougar defense really stepped up, holding McCook to without a field goal until with under five seconds to play. WNCC, during that stretch, went on a 9-0 run to lead 83-73 that included 6-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe and a triple by Hollins as they got the win.
WNCC had four in double figures. After Harris and Hollins with 23 points, Maker tallied 12 points and Linis had 10.
The key in the game was 3-point shooting and free throws. WNCC buried 11 treys to just two for McCook. At the line, WNCC was 27-of-35 from the line while McCook was 18-of-28.
McCook 37 41 – 78
WNCC 41 43 – 84
MCCOOK
Nate Coley 16, Madison Peaster 23, Norris Bourne 16, Vladimir Brkovic 15, Meek Ater 5, Dave Olaniyi 2, Jason Robinson 1.
WNCC
Kellon Harris 23, Elijah Hollins 23, Mathiang Maker 12, Elijah Burney 6, Toms Linis 10, Reece Randolph 2, Isaiah St. Preux 7, Dorin Niguema 1.