Daniel Bula scored 21 points to match his uniform number, but it was his shot with 1.2 seconds remaining that gave the Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team a thrilling 73-71 Region IX South Sub-region win over Lamar Community College Thursday night at Cougar Palace.

                The win moves the Cougars to 14-12 on the season and to 5-4 in the South Sub-region, which is a half-game ahead of Otero, Northeastern Junior College, and McCook, who all at 4-4. The NJC and McCook game that was slated for Thursday night was postponed until Friday because of weather.

                Daniel Bula said this was a huge win for the Cougars, who have fallen in several 2-point games this season.

                "We played together and we went on some runs and we stayed together when they went on some runs," Bula said.

                The final five minutes was heart-pounding as the game seemed as if it would go to overtime.

                WNCC had a 65-56 lead with 5:31 to play after a 4-point play by Maurice Walker when he was fouled making a 3-pointer. After that, Lamar went on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 69-69 with 56.1 seconds to play.

                Bula said when they tied it, the team knew this was their game and they played tough.

                "I knew it was our game," he said. "I said this is our game with the energy in front of the home crowd. We played together and we played well."
                Biko Johnson hit two free throws with 30 seconds to play for a 71-69 lead. Lamar came back as Kris Cook nailed two free throws with 14 seconds to play to knot it at 71. WNCC called a timeout with 7.7 seconds and set up a play and Bula got the ball around the top of the paint and buried the bucket for the 73-71 lead with 1.2 seconds. A last second, half-court shot by Lamar came inches of going in for a game-winner, but it didn't.

                WNCC trailed at halftime 30-29 on a last second shot by Lamar in a half that saw the Cougars battle back from a 21-11 deficit when they scored 11 straight on five points from Carl Thorpe and four points from Biko Johnson. WNCC led 22-21 and then both teams traded buckets. Walker hit a 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 29-28 lead before the last-second shot by Lamar gave them the halftime lead.

                The Cougars then came out in the second half and vaulted to a 44-35 lead behind a Thorpe bucket and led 54-41 on five points from Stephen Ovia. WNCC then committed two technical and Lamar buried four free throws that helped them come back to within 59-54. Biko Johnson hit a jumper to put WNCC up 61-54 and then Walker had his 4-point play for the 65-56 lead.

                The two teams were even shooting. WNCC shot 43 percent from the field while gong 8-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Cougars also went 17-of-25 from the free throw line. Lamar went 40 percent from the field and made just 7-of-18 3-pointers while burying 16-of-22 free throws.

                WNCC won the battle off the bench 30-15 and also won the points off turnovers battle 28-14.

                WNCC had four players in double figures led by Bula with 21 points and three 3-pointers. Thorpe tallied 15 points with two treys, while Johnson has 12 points and 8-of-14 from the charity stripe. Maurice Walker finished with 11 points and two treys.

                The WNCC men will be back in action Saturday when they host McCook Community College in a crucial South Sub-region contest at 4 p.m. or after the women's contest.

 Lamar                    30 41 – 71
WNCC                   29 44 – 73
LAMAR
DeAngelo Horn 9, Meechie Terry 7, Dorien Goodman 9, Kris Cook 26, Brycon Stephens 8, Abel Maes 8, Conner Landell 4.
WNCC
CJ Johnson 5, Biko Johnson 12, Carl Thorpe 15, Stephen Ovia 7, Daniel Bula 21, Maurice Walker 11, Zach O'Callaghan 2.