RANGELY, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team saw 11 players score and the Cougars outscored Colorado Northwestern Community College 36-29 to register a 70-57 win over the Spartans Thursday in Rangely, Colorado.

                WNCC only trailed twice in the contest and both times were early. The Cougars trailed 6-5, but a Dimitrije Nikolic 3-pointer gave the Cougars an 8-6 lead and the Cougars pushed the lead to 15-5 with 11:57 to play before CNCC scored against after a 5-minute scoreless streak.

                CNCC would later cut the lead to 19-18 before CJ Johnson hit two free throws and then Maurice Walker nailed a 3-pointer for a 24-18 lead. WNCC stretched the lead to double digits at 34-23 before leading 34-28 at halftime.

                WNCC opened the second half with back-to-back bucket by Rodney Sawyer and Carl Thorpe for a 38-28 lead. The Spartans sliced the Cougar lead to 41-38 with 15:11 to play. That time will be important because over the next six minutes, the Cougars would go on a 14-0 run that pushed the lead to 55-38. CNCC stopped the scoring slump with a free throw with 9:12 to play.

                WNCC pushed the lead to 20 points at 59-39 on a Sawyer bucket. The Cougars defensive pressure was still holding the Spartans without a field goal since that 15:11 mark. Finally, with 6:25 left, Colorado Northwestern hit a field goal to stop that non-scoring field goal streak.

                WNCC kept playing well once they got the lead and never let the Spartans back into the game.

                The Cougars had three players in double figures. Thorpe led the way with 12 points followed by 11 from Stephen Ovia and 10 from Sawyer.

                The Cougars shot decent as they hit 46 percent of their field goals, but they only connected on 5-of-24 3-pointers. With five different players making just one trey. WNCC was also 11-of-22 from the charity stripe.

                WNCC won the rebound battle 36-25. Nikolic led the way with eight boards while Sawyer had five.

                WNCC, 2-2, will be back in action Friday and Saturday as they compete in an invite at Salt Lake Community College. The Cougars will face Salt Lake Community College on Friday at 7 p.m. and then Taylormade Prep at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

                The Cougars will then return home for a pre-Thanksgiving contest on Tuesday against Eastern Wyoming College.

WNCC                   34 36 – 70

CNCC                     28 29 – 57

CNCC

Khalfani Cason 7, Donovan Maestas 16, Tommy Huynh 7, Pablo Torres 9, Knowledge Ruben 10, Isaiah West 8.

WNCC

Rodney Sawyer 10, CJ Johnson 4, Carl Thorpe 12, Daniel Bula 5, Enzo Clouvel-Urie 2, Tristin Thomas 1, Dimitrije Nikolic 9, Biko Johnson 9, Stephen Ovia 11, Maurice Walker 4, Zach O'Callaghan 3.