The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's basketball teams are entering the final regular season home contests this weekend when the Cougars take on Lamar Community College and Otero Junior College.
The two teams will battle Lamar Community College on Friday, Feb. 16 beginning at 5:30 p.m. for the women's contest and 7:30 p.m. for the men's game. Saturday's contests will be a matinee match-up with Otero Junior College on Feb. 17 beginning at 2 p.m. for the women's game followed by the men's contest at 4 p.m.
The Cougar women will be looking to extend their winning streak from eight games when they face Lamar and Otero this weekend. WNCC already wrapped up the No. 1 seed from the South sub-region for the regional tournament and will play the South No. 8 seed in the first round. Who that will be is still to be determined.
The WNCC women are 11-0 in conference play and 23-3 overall. Eastern Wyoming is currently in second place with a 6-5 conference record. The Lancers will host Otero on Friday and Lamar on Saturday.
The men's two games will be crucial in the South sub-region. The WNCC men sit in second place in the South with a 9-3 conference mark and 19-6 overall. The Cougars are one-game behind conference leading Otero. Otero is 10-2 in conference and 22-3 overall. The Rattlers are ranked No. 23 in the latest NJCAA national pol.
The winner of the South sub-region will host the Region IX tournament in March. Both Otero and WNCC each have four conference games left.
WNCC's stake for a chance to host regionals lies with this weekend's contests. Lamar is 7-5 in conference play. The last time the Cougars and Lamar played, WNCC earned a 108-83 win at Lamar, Colorado. Saturday's afternoon tilt against Otero will be just as intense as the first meeting between the two squads, where the Rattlers earned an 85-81 overtime win at LaJunta, Colorado, back on Jan. 12.
After this weekend, the Cougar men will finish out the regular season with two conference road games at McCook Community College on Feb. 23 and then North Platte Community College on Feb. 24.
The first-round regional tournament games, hosted by the top four seeds from the North and South, will be held the weekend of March 2 and 3 with the tournament being played March 8-10.
NOTES: Saturday's games with Otero will be sophomore recognition day as the sophomores will be recognized before the start of each game. The Cougar women have seven sophomores with Melisa Kadic, Jaleesa Avery, Sophie Agorakis, Kellie Gaston, Olivia Wiberg, Anastacia Johnson, and Giovanna Silva. The men will recognize six sophomores in Milos Popovic, Trent Harris, Vinnie Shahid, Marlon Sierra, Austin Hoffman, and Djodje Dimitrijevic. …. Also on Saturday, the Cougar softball team will hold their soup supper from 1 p.m. until halftime of the men's basketball game. Cost is $5 per person for soup and dessert. …. Friday's game with Lamar will be Dorm Parent Recognition. Dorm Parents for all the WNCC athletic teams as well as non-athletes, will be recognized between games.
Region IX Standings
Men's South
Team Conf. Overall
Otero 10-2 22-3
WNCC 9-3 19-6
Trinidad 8-5 19-6
LCCC 8-5 16-11
Lamar 7-5 16-9
McCook 5-7 17-9
North Platte 5-7 12-11
NJC 4-10 9-16
EWC 0-12 2-22
Men's North
Gillette 9-2 25-2
Sheridan 9-2 23-3
Casper 7-4 19-8
C. Wyoming 6-4 15-11
W. Wyoming 5-6 12-13
Northwest 4-6 13-14
Miles 3-8 9-18
Little Big Horn 0-11 0-24
Women's South
WNCC 11-0 23-3
EWC 6-5 16-10
Lamar 5-5 14-12
NJC 6-7 11-13
Trinidad 5-6 12-12
LCCC 5-6 14-13
Otero 3-6 10-13
McCook 2-8 6-20
Women's North
Casper 11-0 25-2
Northwest 9-2 21-6
Miles 7-4 21-6
Gillette 6-5 12-12
Sheridan 5-6 13-13
W. Wyoming 3-8 5-22
C. Wyoming 2-9 8-19
Little Big Horn 0-10 1-21