It was a high-scoring contest between the Western Nebraska Community College and Jump Start Academy men's basketball teams in the first day of the Fairfield Inn Classic on Friday.
The two teams combined for 199 points and 23 made 3-pointers in the contest that saw the Cougars earn the 108-91 win. Jump Start buried 12 treys while WNCC had 11 3-pointers.
WNCC had five players in double figures, led by Nazir Griffin and Kayden Nation each with 14 points. Griffin buried three treys in the win while Nation had two treys.
WNCC also got 12 points from Stephen Ovia and 10 points each from Junior Galicia and Willie Wilson.
Jump Start was led by Jay Sloresby with 27 points, including seven treys. Will Hinton tallied 18 points followed by Tyler Sloresby with 17, and Payton Lloyd with 16.
This was a contest where both teams shot well from the field. WNCC was 58 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc (11-of-22), while Jump Start was 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from the arc (12-of-31).
It was also a game where WNCC had a big lead until Jump Start jumpstarted their offense and cut the Cougar lead to single-digits on a couple occasions.
Jump Start scored first on a free throw, but the Cougars would run to a 22-4 lead behind five points from Elijah Burney and 3-pointers from JJ Harris, Nation, and Willie Wilson. The Cougars led 37-18 at one time before the Rebels fought back to cut the deficit to just 12 points on a Hinton trey. WNCC pushed the lead back to 17 points on several occasions, including 5740 on a Wilson trey and led 59-43 at halftime.
The second half was evenly played as the Cougars outscored Jump Start 49-48. WNCC led 67-53 when the Rebels got hot in cutting the lead to single digits at 70-61. WNCC responded and went back in front 83-67 and then added a 7-3 run to lead 90-70.
WNCC led 98-79 on a Griffin trey and then hit the century mark with 2:40 left on two Anthony Simo free throws and WNCC never looked back.
The Cougars, 6-5, will be off until Monday when they host Laramie County Community College at 7:30 p.m. Jump Start Academy will play Northeastern Junior College at 12 noon at Cougar Palace on Saturday.
Jump Start 43 48 – 91
WNCC (6-5) 59 49 – 108
JUMP START
Stockton Lloyd 2, Logan Corta 3, Will Hinton 18, Tyler Sloresby 17, Dallyn McCune 6, Jay Sloresby 27, Payton Lloyd 16.
WNCC
JJ Harris 7, Maurice Walker 4, Junior Galicia 10, Anthony Simo 8, Danilo Glisovic 9, Nazir Griffin 14, Willie Wilson 10, Travis Easterly, Jr., 7, Stephen Ovia 12, Elijah Burney 7, Daniel Bula 6, Kayden Nation 14.