POWELL, 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.
WNCC trailed as much as eight points early in the first half and trailed 34-27 with 5:45 to go in the opening half. WNCC fought back to tie the game at 38-38 with 1:08 to play on a Nazir Griffin bucket and took their first lead of the game on a Travis Easterly, Jr., bucket with 57 seconds to play to lead at halftime.
The second half saw the Cougars never relinquish the lead as they pushed the lead to 47-41 on a Maurice Walker trey and a Easterly, Jr., bucket. The Cougars led 56-51 when WNCC went on a 12-0 run to lead 68-51. WNCC continued playing well the rest of the game, especially on the defensive end for the 15-point win.
The Cougars shot 57 percent from the field and buried nine treys. Walker had three of the 3-pointers while JJ Harris, Elijah Burney, and Nation each had two.
WNCC won the rebound battle 29-23 and had 11 steals. Anthony Simo led the Cougars with eight rebounds while Stephen Ovia had seven boards.
Nation led the team with 16 points followed by 12 from Burney, 11 each from Harris and Walker, and 10 from Griffin.
WNCC (3-2) 40 49 – 89
Northwest 30 33 – 72
WNCC
JJ Harris 11, Maurice Walker 11, Travis Easterly, Jr. 7, Elijah Burney 12, Daniel Bula 3, Junior Galica 2, Anthony Simo 4, Danilo Glisovic 2, Nazir Griffin 10, Willie Wilson 4, Stephen Ovia 7, Kayden Nation 16.
NORTHWEST
Milton Rodriguez-Santana 12, Will Hemme 9, Kolter Merritt 12, Drew Larson 5, Kaden Christensen 9, Carter Clark 5, Preston Condle 7, Krue Stubbs 12, Colin Hayes 1.