WNCC men earn road win over Otero

WNCC men earn road win over Otero

                LAJUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team got 52 points from Jervay Green and Martin Roub in earning a 102-91 in a Region IX South Sub-region game Friday night in LaJunta, Colorado.

                The win keeps the Cougars on top of the conference standings at 9-1 with two games left. North Platte Community College, who beat Lamar Friday night 88-59, is in second at 9-2. WNCC, 22-6, will face Trinidad State Junior College on Saturday in Trinidad and then return home for sophomore recognition night on Tuesday in a big game against North Platte that will decide the South winner.

                The game against Otero was a battle. WNCC put together a strong defensive effort in the final 10 minutes to earn the win. WNCC 5-point leads in the first half, the last one at 40-35, before Otero closed out the half on a 10-4 run to lead 45-44.

                The Rattlers then jumped to a 5-point lead in the second half, 63-58 and later 73-68. That was when WNCC picked up the offense and the defense in outscoring Otero 10-1 to grab a 78-74 lead. Otero knotted the game at 78, but Dru Kuxhausen buried a couple threes and WNCC led 86-83.

                Otero kept fighting, slicing the lead to 91-88. WNCC settled in and went on an 11-0 run to earn the sub-region win.

                The Cougars shot 71 percent from the field and buried 11 of 21 3-pointers. Otero shot 50 percent and made 14 of 41 treys.

                Both teams grabbed 28 rebounds. Neither team shot a bunch of free throws, either. WNCC was just 7 of 11, while Otero was 10 of 15.

                WNCC had five players in double figures. Roub led the way with 27 points, including going 13 of 17 from the field. Green finished with 25 points and he went 10 of 15 from the floor.

                Kuxhausen finished with 18 points, all 3-pointers as he netted six treys. Bryce Sanchious tallied 14 points while Eli Cadet had 12 points.

               

WNCC (22-6)      44 58 – 102

Otero (18-7)       45 46 – 91

WNCC

Dru Kuxhausen 18, Marquis White 6, Bryce Sanchious 14, Jervay Green 25, Martin Roub 27, Eli Cadet 12.

OTERO

Miguel Lopez 6, AJ Youngman 7, Wesley Harris 17, Reggie Gibson 7, Yaniel Vidal 8, Jamal Harris 3, Jacob Jackson 19, KJ Harris 9, Sam Mack 16.