It will be the final home games of 2022 for the Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's basketball teams as the two teams will host the WNCC Classic on Friday and Saturday.
The Cougar men are coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Border Wars Invite in Gillette, Wyoming, and the Cougar men will face Northwest College Friday at 7:30 p.m. before taking on Jump Start Academy Saturday at 4 p.m.
The other men's games this weekend will have Otero College taking on Jump Start on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and then Otero taking on Northwest at noon on Saturday.
For the Cougar women, they are looking to get back on the winning track after falling to Williston State on the final day of the 3-day Border Wars Invite. The Cougars will face off against Northwest College Friday at 5:30 p.m. and then take on Central Wyoming College Saturday at 2 p.m.
The other women's games will have Central Wyoming taking on Northeastern Junior College on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and then Northwest battling NJC on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Friday's men's and women's games with Northwest should be competitive as all four teams have outstanding records. The Cougars are 6-4 on the season after winning their last three games. Northwest enters with a 10-3 record and is under the guidance of former Eastern Wyoming College coach Andy Ward, who was named the interim head coach in August after the sudden passing of current Trapper coach Jay Collins.
The Trappers and Cougars have plenty of common opponents with Salt Lake Community College, Miles Community College, and Williston State. Northwest defeated Williston twice 91-68 and 92-53, topped Miles 90-56, and lost to Salt Lake 91-74.
The Cougar men defeated Miles 80-67 behind a 20-point performance from Rodney Sawyer and also beat Williston State 81-66 as Maurice Walker had 16 points. The Cougars lost to Salt Lake 97-80.
The Cougars have three players averaging in double figures as Carl Thorpe leads with a 12.0 average followed by Biko Johnson at 11.9 and Sawyer at 10-8.
Northwest also has three scoring double digits. Davion McAdam is averaging 18.1 points a contest followed by Juan Pablo Camargo Tellez at 14.4 points and Yannice Niend at 11.2 points.
The women's contest between WNCC and Northwest also has two similar teams. Northwest enters with a 9-4 record including dropping their last two contests. The Cougars are 8-4 on the season after falling on Sunday.
The two teams also have common opponents having faced Miles, Williston, and Salt Lake. The Trapper women beat Miles 62-51 and Williston State twice 73-67 and 68-66.
The Cougar women are 1-2 against those same opponents. WNCC topped Miles 77-63 and fell to Williston State 66-57 and also Salt Lake 74-65.
The Cougar women have five players averaging double digits. Jayla Owen leads the way at 12 points a game followed by Ola Duda at 11.0, Yara Garcia at 10.5, Shiho Isono at 10.1 and Mackenzie Joseph at 10 points a contest.
The Trappers also have five players in double figures, led by Darla Hernandez at 17.5 points a contest followed by Natalyah Nead at 13, Roxanne Rogers at 12.9, Jimena Mantara-Cabezas at 10.6, and Noyeli Acosta at 10.2.
On Saturday, the Cougar women face Central Wyoming and the Rustlers currently are 2-9 on the season with wins against Community Christian College 104-77 and United Tribes College 60-56. The Rustlers are led by Chevelle Boyd at 13.8 points a contest.
After this weekend, the Cougar men and women will wrap up the first semester with a road trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Tuesday to face Laramie County Community College. The Cougars' first game in 2023 will be Jan. 7 when they face Lake Region State College beginning at 10 a.m. with the women's game with the men's game to follow