CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball played tough in the first half, but it was the second half that gave Casper College the 114-78 win Friday night in Casper, Wyoming.
The Cougars led just once in the contest as WNCC grabbed a 26-25 lead in the first half thanks to a Reece Randolph 3-pointer. After that Casper went on a 10-2 run to lead 35-28. The Cougars traded buckets with the T-birds until the final minute when Casper went on a 7-0 run to take a 54-41 lead into halftime.
The second half saw Casper put together little 4-0 and 6-0 runs to lead 70-48. WNCC managed to get the deficit down to 17 at 74-57 on an Isaiah St. Preux bucket, but Casper went on a 10-2 run to lead 84-59.
WNCC put together their largest run of the half of 6-0 to try to come back and trailed by 20, 88-68, on a Caleb Swisher 3-pointer. But, every time WNCC tried to make a run, Casper stopped the run with one of their own and this time it was a 13-2 run to lead 101-70. Casper won 114-78.
Casper shot 51 percent from the field and just 17 percent from beyond the arc nailing just six treys. WNCC was 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from beyond the arc with six treys.
The big difference in the contest was rebounding where Casper held a 56-30 edge.
Casper had seven players finish in double figures, including a double-double from Binael Basil with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
WNCC had just two in double figures as Mathiang Maker had 22 points followed by Randolph with 18 points.
WNCC, 5-10, will be back in action Saturday afternoon as they travel up the road to face Gillette College in Gillette, Wyoming.
WNCC (5-10) 41 37 – 78
Casper 54 60 – 114
WNCC
Kellon Harris 9, Isaiah St. Preux 7, Mathiang Maker 22, Dorin Nguema 5, Toms Linis 6, Reece Randolph 18, Caleb Swisher 3, Elijah Burney 5, Witold Czerenkiewicz 3.
CASPER
Aaron Sievert 11, Abdul Bashir 23, Ethan Connery 14, Nate Sasser III 4, Stephen Osei 16, Blake Neverdon 3, Roh Butler-Kowlessar 9, Parker Davis 10, Binael Basil 12, Yel Deeng 12.