2023-24 WNCC Cougar Men's Basketball News
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Trinidad downs WNCC for Region IX title
March 16, 2024The Trinidad State College men’s basketball team received 28 points from Lateef Patrick as the Trojans won their third straight Region IX title with an 81-56 win over Western Nebraska Community College Saturday evening. Trinidad never trailed in the contest and held a commanding 23-2 lead through the first 13 minutes of the opening half. After the slow start, the Cougars started to come back as they out-scored Trinidad 17-14 in the final seven minutes of the half to trail 37-19 at intermission. The second half was more of a ball game as WNCC tried coming back as they sliced the deficit to just 15 points on a JJ Harris bucket and an Anthony Simo 3-pointer. Trinidad answered with a 20-4 run to lead 67-36 as Kenyon Elliott hit a big 3-pointer. The Trojans led 70-40 on two free throws by Amir Reeves with 5:20 to play. -
WNCC men top Casper, will play for regional title Saturday night
March 15, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team will be playing for a Region IX title Saturday evening after a heart-pounding 82-78 win over Casper College in the semifinals of the Region IX tournament at Cougar Palace. WNCC, who have now won 13 straight, will be facing Trinidad State College for the title at 5 p.m. at Cougar Palace. Trinidad State had to hang on to down Gillette College 86-83 in the other semifinal game Friday. WNCC coach Billy Engel said it was a heck of a game and his team battled tooth and nail to get the emotional win.
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WNCC downs Northwest to open Region IX tourney
March 14, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team entered the Region IX basketball tournament at Cougar Palace having not played in three weeks. Thursday night in the quarterfinals, the Cougar men earned a trip to the semifinals with a workmanlike performance in downing Northwest College 84-72. WNCC will face Casper College in the semis on Friday at 7 p.m. at Cougar Palace. Casper was a 92-82 winner over Otero College.
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WNCC set to host men’s regional tourney on Thursday with four games, Cougars will open against Northwest College Thursday night
March 12, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put together a stellar second semester, going 14-1 with their only loss coming to Trinidad State back on January 19. Since that defeat, the Cougar men have won 11 straight, including a big 77-76 win on February 23 over Trinidad that gave the Cougars the South Sub-region championship and the right to host the Region IX tournament. The tournament begins Thursday, March 14 at Cougar Palace with four games with the championship slated for March 16 with the winner advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, March 24-30.
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WNCC defeats Trinidad, will host regionals
February 23, 2024TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a late 14-0 run and then held on to defeat Trinidad State College 77-76 in a South Sub-region contest Friday in Trinidad, Colorado. The win was WNCC’s 10th straight and moves the Cougars to 21-8 on the season, but more importantly to 10-1 in sub-region play with one sub-region game left, but that game Tuesday night won’t be played and WNCC gets the win. Tuesday night was supposed to be sophomore recognition night and it still will be as the Cougar men sophomores will be recognized at halftime of the WNCC and Lamar women’s basketball game.
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WNCC men, women host North Platte Tuesday in Alumni Night
February 20, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams have just two home regular season games left and the first of those is coming up Tuesday night when North Platte Community College comes to Cougar Palace. Tuesday’s action will be a Region IX South sub-region contest for the Cougar men, who are in the hunt to host the Region IX tournament. The women’s game with North Platte will just be a regular season game since the Knight women are NJCAA Division II. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. for the women’s contest with the men’s game to follow. Tuesday’s game is also WNCC Alumni Night sponsored by the WNCC Alumni Foundation. WNCC alumni get free admission to the contest.
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WNCC men capture 20th win of season by downing North Platte
February 20, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had three players in double figures and rolled to an 88-74 South Sub-region victory over North Platte Community College Tuesday night at Cougar Palace. The win was the Cougar's 20th victory of the season, but, more importantly, kept the Cougars in the hunt to win the South sub-region as they moved to 9-1 in conference play. WNCC, who have won nine straight, is a half game in front of Trinidad State, who sits at 8-1. WNCC and Trinidad State will battle Friday evening in Trinidad, Colorado, with the winner in the driver’s seat to host the Region IX tournament in mid-March.
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WNCC men capture 6th straight with win over Adams State JV
February 09, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College and Adams State junior varsity basketball teams combined for 25 3-pointers and 93 rebounds as the Cougar men put five in double figures in racing to the 104-76 win Friday night at Cougar Palace. The win was the Cougars' sixth straight and moves WNCC to 17-8 on the season. WNCC will be back in action Monday evening when they host Northeastern Junior College in a men’s and women’s Region IX South Sub-region doubleheader. It is also “White Out” night at Cougar Palace.
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Harris' buzzer-beater downs NJC 83-81
February 06, 2024STERLING, Colo. – Western Nebraska Community College put five in double figures and it was a shot by JJ Harris with 1.4 seconds left that gave the Cougar men an 83-81 win over Northeastern Junior College Tuesday night in Sterling, Colorado. The win was the Cougars fifth straight but more importantly gives the Cougars a 6-1 Region IX South Sub-region record, which is now tied with Trinidad State College, who is 6-1 in conference play. WNCC, 16-8, will be back in action Friday at home when they host Adam’s State junior varsity before hosting NJC on Monday in another sub-region contest.
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WNCC men pick up fourth straight win Friday night
February 02, 2024LAJUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team picked up their fourth straight victory and stayed in the hunt to win the South Sub-region with an impressive 89-82 win over Otero College Friday in LaJunta, Colorado. WNCC moves to 15-8 overall and more importantly to 5-1 in sub-region play. Trinidad State is a half game in front of the Cougars at 6-1 in conference play. WNCC will look for their fifth straight victory when they travel to Northeastern Junior College Tuesday in Sterling, Colorado. NJC is 3-2 in conference play.
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WNCC men pick up sub-region win over McCook
January 26, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a complete game performance from start to finish as the Cougars went to 4-1 in the South Sub-region with a commanding 90-71 win over McCook Community Friday night at Cougar Palace. WNCC moves to 14-9 on the season, but more importantly, they go to 4-1 in sub-region play. WNCC will next be in action Friday when they travel to LaJunta, Colorado, for a contest with Otero College.
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WNCC men win overtime thriller over North Platte
January 23, 2024NORTH PLATTE – It was a wild Tuesday night for the Region IX South teams as all three games went to overtime including the Western Nebraska Community College men earning a thrilling 81-80 win over North Platte Community College in North Platte. The win moves the Cougars to 13-8 on the season and to 3-1 in the South Sub-region. The other two South Sub-region contests were also overtime thrillers and made the race to host the Region IX tourney chaotic as McCook Community College downed Northeastern Junior College 80-77 in overtime and Otero College needed double overtime to beat Lamar 91-86.
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WNCC men top Otero 77-65
January 20, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put five in double figures and used a late second-quarter run to earn a 77-65 South Sub-region win over Otero College Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace. WNCC moved to 12-8 overall and 2-1 in sub-region play. The Cougars will have two sub-region games next week when they travel to North Platte Community College on Tuesday before hosting McCook Community College on Friday. The big key in the win was the final 10 minutes of the game. WNCC trailed Otero 50-49 after surrendering a 42-35 lead early in the second half. What the Cougars did in that final 10 minutes was go on an 18-4 run to go ahead 67-55 with 5:48 to play. Willie Wilson, who led the team with 14 points in the win, said after Friday’s loss to Trinidad, the team didn’t want to lose two straight on their home court for their fans.
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WNCC men fall to Trinidad 85-69.
January 19, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team started hot, but then Trinidad State went on a 12-2 run to earn the 85-69 South Sub-region win Friday night. The Cougars dropped to 1-1 in conference play while Trinidad State moved to 2-0.
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Harris’ buzzer-beater tops Lamar 60-58
January 15, 2024LAMAR, Colo. – JJ Harris’ 14-foot buzzer-beater was the only shot that mattered as the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team opened South Sub-region with a thrilling 60-58 win over Lamar Community College Monday in Lamar, Colorado. The win pushed the Cougars’ win streak to four games and to 11-7 overall. WNCC is now 1-0 in conference play right behind Trinidad State College, who is 2-0. WNCC and Trinidad State face each other Friday at Cougar Palace. Harris, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, said they didn’t have their best offensive game, only hitting 1-of-23 3-point shots and going 24-of-61 from the field.
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WNCC men top Western Wyoming for third-straight win
January 10, 2024The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team used a 16-0 run in the first half to help them propel past Western Wyoming Community College 91-79 Wednesday night at Cougar Palace. The win moves the Cougars to 10-7 on the year with their third-straight victory. WNCC coach Billy Engel said they had some key plays where they didn’t let Western Wyoming get no more than a 5-point run.
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Strong second half powers WNCC men past EWC
January 08, 2024TORRINGTON, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team received 20 points from Kayden Nation along with a strong second half to power past Eastern Wyoming College 88-73 Monday evening at Torrington, Wyoming. Nation, who had four 3-pointers in the win, said it was a big win for the Cougars in their first game of 2024. Nation said the second half play was critical for the Cougar’s win, where they overcome a 35-35 halftime score and outscored the Lancers 53-38 for their ninth win of the season.
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WNCC men's game canceled on Friday
January 02, 2024The WNCC and Taylormade Prep men's basketball game that was slated for Friday, January 5 at Cougar Palace has been canceled. WNCC is working on adding another home game, possibly sometime in January. The Cougar men will open up the second semester on Monday, January 8, at Eastern Wyoming College as part of a men's/women's doubleheader. The first home game of 2024 will be Wednesday, January 10 when the men host Western Wyoming at 6 p.m. or after the women's contest. The Cougar women will open the second semester on Saturday, January 6 when they host Central Wyoming College at 2 p.m. at Cougar Palace.
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WNCC men top Miles 101-91
December 09, 2023GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put six players in double figures as the Cougars topped Miles Community College 101-91 Saturday afternoon to wrap up the Border Wars Classic in Gillette, Wyoming. The Cougars finished the Border Wars Classic at 2-1 against the three Region 13 teams while moving to 8-7 on the season to wrap up the first semester. WNCC will return to action on January 5 when they host Taylor Made Prep. The Cougars win on Saturday was one where they used a big run in the first half and then never relinquished the lead.
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WNCC men fall to Dawson
December 08, 2023GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team allowed one big run to Dawson Community College in both halves as the Bucs earned the 76-63 win Friday in the second day of the Border Wars Classic in Gillette, Wyoming. WNCC drops to 7-7 on the season with the loss as they will wrap up the classic on Saturday as well as the first semester when they face Miles Community College Saturday morning.
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WNCC men top Williston State
December 07, 2023GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team shot 45 percent from field and earned a 84-65 win over Williston State College on Thursday in the first day of the Border Wars Classic in Gillette, Wyoming. The Cougars had four players in double figures in the win as WNCC went to 7-6 on the season as they get ready to face Dawson Community College on Friday.
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WNCC men fall to LCCC 84-68
December 04, 2023The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team struggled from the field and the result was Laramie County Community College picking up the 84-68 win Monday evening at Cougar Palace. WNCC shot only 31 percent from the field and buried just 5-of-22 3-pointers on the night. The Cougars made just 1-of-10 treys in the first half.
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WNCC men earn 108-91 win over Jump Start Academy
December 01, 2023It was a high-scoring contest between the Western Nebraska Community College and Jump Start Academy men’s basketball teams in the first day of the Fairfield Inn Classic on Friday. The two teams combined for 199 points and 23 made 3-pointers in the contest that saw the Cougars earn the 108-91 win. Jump Start buried 12 treys while WNCC had 11 3-pointers. WNCC had five players in double figures, led by Nazir Griffin and Kayden Nation each with 14 points. Griffin buried three treys in the win while Nation had two treys.
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WNCC earns win over EWC in Highway 26 battle
November 28, 2023It was a battle between the two Highway 26 rivals Tuesday night and the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team buried 12 3-pointers in earning an 81-67 win over Eastern Wyoming College at Cougar Palace. WNCC evens their record at 5-5 and will be back in action Friday evening when they host Jump Start Academy. WNCC head coach Billy Engel said it was a game where they played up and down, but found a way to win the contest in the final nine minutes.
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Griffin’s last-second shot sinks CNCC 62-61
November 25, 2023TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Nazir Griffin only had eight points Saturday against Colorado Northwestern Community College, but his last four points were the key one as the freshman scored at the buzzer to give the Cougars a heart-pounding 62-61 win Saturday afternoon in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Cougars played well in the first half to lead 36-26. After a slow start leading 5-4, the Cougars warmed up to move to 11-4 on back-to-back treys from Maurice Walker and Kayden Nation.
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WNCC falls to CSI after a second-half comeback
November 24, 2023TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team almost did it again in coming back from a second-half deficit, but the 21st-ranked College of Southern Idaho held off WNCC 75-68 to open the Rob Green Classic in Twin Falls, Idaho. The first half was a low-scoring contest as WNCC held a 3-2 lead after a Maurice Walker trey and later led 8-7 on a Daniel Bula bucket. WNCC led 12-9 after five minutes of play on two Walker free throws.
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WNCC men fall to Western Wyoming
November 21, 2023ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team let a win slip through their hands Tuesday night as the Cougars dropped an 81-74 contest to Western Wyoming Community College Tuesday evening in Rock Springs, Wyoming. WNCC, 3-4 on the season, will continue west as they compete in a classic in Twin Falls, Idaho, over the Thanksgiving break when they face the College of Southern Idaho on Friday and Colorado Northwestern on Saturday before returning home for a home contest Tuesday, November 28 against Eastern Wyoming College.
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WNCC men fall to Central Wyoming
November 18, 2023POWELL, Wyo. – Daniel Bula had 28 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team dropped an 82-74 contest to Central Wyoming College to end the Coach Collins Heart of a Champion Classic Saturday afternoon in Powell, Wyoming. The loss snapped a 3-game winning streak and moves the Cougars to 3-3 on the season. WNCC will be back in action on Tuesday when they face Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyoming, before heading to the CSI Thanksgiving Classic in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Friday and Saturday.
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WNCC men earn third-straight victory, downs Northwest 89-72
November 17, 2023POWELL, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put five players in double figures as the Cougar men outscored Northwest College 49-33 to earn an 89-72 win over the host Trappers in the opening day of the Coach Collins Heart of a Champion Classic in Powell, Wyoming. Kayden Nation paced the Cougars with 16 points on the night including two treys to lead the Cougars to their third straight win. WNCC is now 3-2 on the season and will wrap up the classic on Saturday at noon when they face Central Wyoming College.
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WNCC men win a game to remember in double OT
November 11, 2023GOODLAND, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team won Saturday in a game that will be remembered for a long time as the Cougars came back from a 9-point deficit with 25 seconds left in regulation to capture a thrilling 99-95 double overtime win over Northwest Kansas Technical College in the final day of the NT Classic in Goodland, Kansas. Head coach Billy Engel said he has never been part of a game where a team won in the manner that his team won. “We did not play up to our potential for the first 38 minutes and 30 seconds of the game,” Engel said. “We were a step slow and were playing from behind all game long. The last 1 minute and 30 seconds of regulation and both overtimes was some of the toughest I’ve ever seen a team battle. I’m very proud of our guys to stick together and find a way to pull out that win.”
