GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team connected on 12 3-pointers while overcoming a slow start to run away with a 95-72 win over Dawson Community College in the Border Wars Classic in Gillette, Wyoming, Friday afternoon.
The win evened the Cougars record at 4-4 as they put four players in double figures.
WNCC fell behind 4-0 and trailed 11-6 early in the first half. That was when the Cougars used a 10-2 run to take a 14-11 lead behind 3-pointers from Biko Johnson and Daniel Bula. The Cougars pushed the lead to 25-14 a few minutes later as Rodney Sawyer hit for four points.
The two teams traded buckets as the Buccaneers cut the deficit to four, 33-29. Carl Thorpe followed with two free throws and a dunk to push the lead back to 37-29. WNCC led 44-35 on a Johnson bucket before Dawson scored the final five points to give the Cougars a 46-41 halftime lead.
The second half was one where WNCC went up by 10, 53-43 on a Thorpe trey and a dunk by Bula. The Cougars stretched the lead to 17, 66-49, on a Maurice Walker 3-pointer. WNCC went up by 20 points, 80-60, on another 3-pointer and led 86-60 after a Walker trey and the Cougars cruised to the 95-72 win.
WNCC had four players in double figures led by Walker with 20 points including six 3-pointers. Bula finished with 15 points with two treys. Biko Johnson had 14 points while Thorpe had 11 points.
WNCC shot nearly 50 percent for the game while Dawson was 43 percent.
WNCC won the rebound battle 42-39. Sawyer led the way with eight boards followed by Thorpe and Walker each with six.
WNCC will be back in action Saturday in the invite when they face Miles Community College at 11:45 a.m. and then wrap up the Border Wars Invite on Sunday when they face Williston State at 10 a.m.
Men's game
Dawson 41 31 – 72
WNCC (4-4) 46 39 – 95
WNCC
Rodney Sawyer 8, CJ Johnson 9, Biko Johnson 14, Carl Thorpe 11, Daniel Bula 15, Ahmari Samuel 5, Stephen Ovia 7, Maurice Walker 20, Caio Monteiro 2, Zach O'Callaghan 4.