TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team almost did it again in coming back from a second-half deficit, but the 21st-ranked College of Southern Idaho held off WNCC 75-68 to open the Rob Green Classic in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The first half was a low-scoring contest as WNCC held a 3-2 lead after a Maurice Walker trey and later led 8-7 on a Daniel Bula bucket. WNCC led 12-9 after five minutes of play on two Walker free throws.
WNCC had a 19-16 lead with 8:32 to play on a Travis Easterly, Jr., bucket. That was where CSI got things going as CSI held WNCC without a field goal for nearly six minutes until Nazir Griffin hit a lay-up to make it 22-31. WNCC trailed at halftime 36-25.
WNCC trailed by as much as 19 points in the second half at 48-29. After that, the Cougars buckled down on defense and slowly made a comeback. WNCC got to within single digits on a Kayden Nation bucket to make it 50-42 with 12:37 to play.
CSI pushed the lead back to double digits, but the Cougars were not going to go away as they got to within five points at 58-53 on a Nation bucket and made it a 4-point game at 62-58 on a Anthony Simo field goal with 6:15 to play.
The Cougars made it a 3-point contest at 63-60 on a Nation bucket and down to one point at 67-66 on a Griffin lay-up with 2:46 to play. That was as close as they could get as CSI hit clutch free throws down the stretch to get the 75-68 win.
WNCC shot 36 percent from the field compared to 45 percent for CSI. WNCC buried seven treys to CSI's eight. Walker and Nation each had three treys.
The Cougars were out-rebounded 43-39 with Simo leading the charge with nine boards followed by six each from Nation and Walker.
The Cougars had two in double figures. Nation tallied 21 points while Walker had 16.
WNCC, 3-5 on the season, will look to get back on the winning side when they face Colorado Northwestern in the second day of the classic at 3 p.m. WNCC will then return home to face Eastern Wyoming College on Tuesday in a men's and women's doubleheader. Colorado Northwestern beat Northeastern Junior College on Friday 83-69.
WNCC (3-5) 25 43 – 68
Southern Idaho (7-3) 36 39 – 75
WNCC
JJ Harris 3, Maurice Walker 16, Travis Easterly, Jr. 2, Stephen Ovia 4, Daniel Bula 5, Anthony Simo 6, Nazir Griffin 8, Elijah Burney 2, Kayden Nation 21.
CSI
Asim Jones 27, Jaylon Johnson 13, Kasen Carpenter 3, Britton Berrett 7, Shahid Muhammad 9, Dale Griffin 8, Walker Timme 2, Sam Phipps 4, Kakari Livingston 2.