There are Just two weeks left in the first-semester athletic schedule for the Western Nebraska Community College basketball teams as both the men's and women's teams will be in action the next two weekends.
The Cougar men, 9-2 on the season and ranked 16th in the first regular season NJCAA poll, will have five games over the next two weeks.
It all starts this weekend when they travel to Williston, North Dakota, for two contests beginning with a match-up with Williston State on Thursday.
The interesting game in North Dakota will be Friday night when the Cougar men face Region IX North opponent No. 24 Sheridan College. Sheridan is 11-0 on the season and has scored the second-most points in Region IX so far this season with 1,137. Casper College has scored the most points at 1,224. The T-birds are 10-2 on the season and ranked 15th in the national poll.
After this weekend, the Cougar men will wrap up the first semester with three games next week.
Things get started when they host Laramie County Community College on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at Cougar Palace.
The Cougar men will then wrap up the semester when they head to Ottumwa, Iowa, to face Indian Hills Community College, who is ranked No. 17 in the national polls, on Friday, Dec. 14 and then Iowa Lakes Community College on Saturday. Iowa Lakes is ranked No. 17 in the NJCAA Division II poll.
WNCC and Indian Hills played over Thanksgiving at Cougar Palace and the Cougar men won a thriller, topping Indian Hills 89-81 in overtime.
As for the women's basketball team, the Lady Cougars have three games before break. The Cougar women will travel to face Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, on Friday. WNCC faced the Trappers earlier in the season and defeated the Northwest squad 101-56 at Cougar Palace.
The WNCC women, who are 9-2 on the season and received votes in the NJCAA national poll this week, will wrap up the first semester when they take part in a classic in Sheridan, Wyoming, Dev. 14-15. WNCC will face Central Wyoming College on Friday before taking on the host squad Sheridan College on Saturday. Central Wyoming is 6-6 on the season while Sheridan is 7-3. Sheridan upended No. 22 College of Southern Idaho 59-56 back on Nov. 3.
After December 15, the Cougar basketball teams will be off until 2019. The WNCC women's first game in 2019 will be January 7 when the women travel to Casper College while the Cougar travel to face Laramie County in Cheyenne on the same day.
Thursday, December 6
- Men's Basketball: AWAY at Williston State College, Williston North Dakota, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 7
- Women's Basketball: AWAY at Northwest College, Powell, Wyo., 5:30 p.m.
- Men's Basketball: AWAY vs. No. 24 Sheridan College, Williston North Dakota, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 11
- Men's Basketball: HOME vs. Laramie County C.C., Cougar Palace, 6 p.m.
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Friday, December 14
- Men's Basketball: AWAY at No. 17 Indian Hills C.C., Ottumwa, Iowa, 7 p.m.
- Women's Basketball: AWAY vs. Central Wyoming College, Sheridan, Wyo., 5 p.m.
Saturday, December 15
- Men's Basketball: AWAY vs. No. 17 Iowa Lakes C.C., Ottumwa, Iowa, 4:30 p.m.
- Women's Basketball: AWAY at Sheridan College, Sheridan, Wyo., 7 p.m.