2024-25 WNCC Cougar Men's Basketball News

  • WNCC men fall to Gillette in semifinals
    March 14, 2025
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team battled Gillette College in the semifinals of the Region IX tournament on Friday, but ended up on the short end, falling 87-71. The loss ends the Cougars' season at 14-17, where the team ended up as one of the highest-scoring teams in Cougar history. Gillette advances to the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. when they face Trinidad State College. The Trojans topped Casper in a similar score, beating the T-Birds 86-77.
  • WNCC men top Northwest, advance to semis of regional tourney
    March 13, 2025
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College put together another strong defensive as the Cougars advanced to the Region IX Men’s Tournament semifinals with an 86-67 win over Northwest College Thursday evening in Gillette, Wyoming. Three Cougars led the way for the Cougars with 19 points. Mathiang Maker tallied a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Elijah Burney and Kellon Harris each had 19 points.
  • WNCC men ready for quarterfinal round of regionals against Northwest on Thursday
    March 12, 2025
    WNCC men’s basketball team will be entering the Region IX tournament in Gillette, Wyoming, as one of the teams that could be described as a team to watch. WNCC enters the tournament after downing McCook Community College in a first-round playoff game at Cougar Palace 107-73 in a game that first-year WNCC head coach described as a complete team effort from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer. The Cougar men will be one of eight teams at the men’s Region IX tournament with hopes of earning the regional title and advancing to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
  • WNCC men advance in regional tourney with win over McCook
    March 08, 2025
    Western Nebraska Community College head coach Roybell Baez called the Cougars first-round win over McCook Community College on Saturday a complete team win. It was a win like this that they needed as the Cougars scored 50-plus points in both halves enroute to an 107-73 win over the Indians in the first-round of the Region IX playoffs Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace. “It was the first time all year that we had a complete game,” Baez said. “At halftime, they had 41 points, and I said, ‘Hey, fellas, if you guys are really serious about winning the tournament, you don’t allow them to score 30 points in the second half. They had 33 and we had some guys in there late in the game, but I thought defensively in the second half, that was the best defense we have played all year.”
  • WNCC Cougar men ready to host first-round playoffs Saturday
    March 07, 2025
    Let March Madness begin post-season basketball. It all begins this weekend when the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team opens the first-round of the Region IX tournament with a home play-off contest on Saturday at 3 p.m. when McCook Community College comes to Cougar Palace. The winner will advance to a quarterfinal game on March 13 in Gillette, Wyoming for the 3-day, 8-team tournament. Elijah Burney, one of three sophomores on the Cougar team, said this team has the potential to do well if they play their game.
  • WNCC men fall to NJC, will host McCook in first-round playoff game on Saturday
    March 01, 2025
    STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had an opportunity to win the South Sub-region on Saturday, but the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen had other ideas as NJC shot over 50 percent from the field and 3-point arc to claim the 111-100 win over WNCC. The loss by WNCC gives Trinidad State College the conference title and the first-round bye into the Region IX tournament March 13-15 at Gillette, Wyoming. WNCC finished second with a 7-5 record and will host a first-round game on Saturday when they battle McCook Community College at 3 p.m. with the winner advancing to the tournament.
  • WNCC men top Lamar, in position to win sub-region
    February 28, 2025
    Coming into Friday night’s South Sub-region, the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team knew what was on the line and to have any hopes to win the South Sub-region they have to win both games this weekend. Friday night, they took the first step against Lamar Community College at Cougar Palace in sophomore recognition night, with a huge 108-102 win over Lamar Community College. WNCC only surrendered the lead just once, at 22-21 with about 12 minutes left in the first half to get the win. The win moves the Cougars to 12-15 overall but, more importantly, to 7-4 on the South Sub-region. WNCC, North Platte, and Trinidad State are all tied with 7-4 records. WNCC travels to face Northeastern Junior College Saturday afternoon while Trinidad State faces North Platte. IF WNCC wins on Saturday, they will win the South Sub-region and secure a first-round bye in the regional tournament that will be played March 13-15 in Gillette, Wyoming. A loss on Saturday and then the winner of the North Platte/Trinidad State game will win the sub-region. A loss would also make it a 3-way tied for second, which then would guarantee the Cougars a home first-round play-in game next weekend.
  • WNCC men top McCook with rally in final three minutes
    February 21, 2025
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team stayed alive for a chance to win the sub-region or get a first-round home playoff game with a hard-fought win Friday night over McCook Community College 84-78. The Cougars move to 11-15 overall and 6-4 in the South Sub-region, just a game behind Trinidad State College in the loss column. The Cougars have two sub-region games left with Lamar Community College coming to Cougar Palace on Friday, February 28 followed by a road trip to Northeastern Junior College on March 1. WNCC coach Roybell Baez said the win was a good win for his team, who hit big shots when they needed while playing tough defense.
  • Burney’s buzzer-beater gives WNCC the win over North Platte
    February 19, 2025
    Elijah Burney had the biggest offensive rebound and putback that he will ever remember. The Western Nebraska Community College and North Platte Community College men’s basketball teams were knotted at 83 with 20 seconds to play. WNCC worked for the last shot and a 3-pointer was off the back and with 1.5 seconds on the clock, Burney got the rebound and got the shot off with .2 seconds left and watched the ball sail through the nets as he fell to the grand for the buzzer-beater winner 85-83 Wednesday night at Cougar Palace in a key South Sub-region contest. When the shot went in, the student section went wild with excitement, but then the students and the players calmed down as the referees went to the video replay to see if the shot was released in time. A couple minutes later, the refs awarded two points and the Cougars got to celebrate once again.
  • WNCC men fall twice over the weekend
    February 14, 2025
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team dropped a pair South Sub-region contests on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, WNCC outscored Trinidad State College 50-43 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as the Trojans captured the 94-89 win. Saturday’s contest saw Elijah Hollins score 27 points but Otero College at a 22-10 run in the last seven minutes to capture the 83-72 win.
  • Hollins buries 7 treys to lead WNCC men over NJC
    February 10, 2025
                    Elijah Hollins buried seven 3-pointers as the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team got back on the win track with an 86-72 South Sub-region win over Northeastern Junior College Monday at Cougar Palace.                 Hollins was one of four Cougars in double figures with 25 points including going 7-of-11 from the 3-point arc. Kellon Harris added 16 points while Elijah Burney and Isaiah St. Preux each had 10 points.                 The win moves the Cougars to 9-13 on the season but more importantly pushed the Cougars to 4-2 in sub-region play and trails Lamar Community College for the top spot in the sub-region by percentage points. Lamar is 5-2 in the sub-region. NJC falls to 3-4 in the sub-region.
  • WNCC men fall to Lamar in a physical contest
    February 08, 2025
    LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team dropped a South Sub-region contest to Lamar Community College 99-91 in a contest that saw a total of 49 fouls and a Runnin’ Lopes team that was 31-of-41 from the free throw line. WNCC was just 16-of-27 from the charity stripe and buried just five 3-pointers. Despite the lop-sided free throws, the Cougars stayed tough and battled their way back from a 21-point deficit in the second half to trail 95-91 with a minute to play.
  • WNCC men topple North Platte in sub-region action
    January 31, 2025
    NORTH PLATTE – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team received 43 points from Kellon Harris and Elijah Hollins as the Cougars moved to the front of the South Sub-region standings with a hard-fought 101-97 win over North Platte Community College Friday in North Platte. The Cougar men got the win by outscoring the Knights 58-48 in the second half as Harris tallied 22 points and nine rebounds while Hollins had 21 points and five 3-pointers. The Cougars moved to 8-12 on the season but more importantly they are 3-1 in the South Sub-region while North Platte drops to 3-2 and is tied with Lamar and Northeastern Junior College for second place. WNCC finished the game with five players in double figures. After Harris and Hollins, Mathiang Maker had 18 points while Toms Linis and Elijah Burney each had 10.
  • WNCC men bury 18 treys, top McCook in sub-region action
    January 28, 2025
    MCCOOK, Neb. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team buried 18 3-pointers enroute to a 102-83 win over McCook Community College in a Region IX South Sub-region contest Tuesday in McCook. The win was the Cougars second straight and moves them to 7-12 overall but, more importantly, to 2-1 in the sub-region and just a half game out of first place. North Platte Community College, the Cougars’ Friday opponent in North Platte, leads the South sub-region at 3-1. McCook, playing without three starters because of the flu bug, dropped to 9-12 overall and 1-3 in the sub-region.
  • WNCC men get big win over Trinidad on Saturday
    January 25, 2025
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had three players score 20-plus points and snapped a 4-game losing skid with a huge South Conference 110-101 win over defending Region IX champs Trinidad State College Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace. The win puts the Cougars in the middle of the conference standings at 1-1 while Northeastern Junior College and North Platte Community led the conference at 2-1. WNCC will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to McCook Community College for a women’s and men’s conference doubleheader. Saturday’s win was one where Trinidad started the contest just like they did in last year’s Region IX championship game with a big lead. On Saturday, the Trojans jumped to a 15-1 and seemed DeJa’Vu from the 2024 Region IX championship game. But, this is 2025 and not 2024 and the Cougar men outscored the Trojans 54-38 in the final 15 minutes of the first half and played team ball to get their first conference win.
  • WNCC men fall to Otero in a high-scoring contest 112-105.
    January 24, 2025
    Free shooting proved to be the difference as the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team dropped the conference opener to Otero College 112-105 Friday night at Cougar Palace. WNCC will look to get back on the winning track when they host Trinidad State on Saturday at 3 p.m.
  • WNCC men fall to Gillette
    January 11, 2025
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – Reece Randolph and Mathiang Maker combined for 43 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Western Nebraska Community College Cougar men dropped an 112-83 contest to Gillette College Saturday evening in Gillette, Wyoming. WNCC, 5-11, will have two weeks off before they open South Conference play the weekend of January 24 and 25 at home against Otero and Trinidad State.
  • WNCC men fall to Casper on Friday
    January 10, 2025
    CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball played tough in the first half, but it was the second half that gave Casper College the 114-78 win Friday night in Casper, Wyoming. The Cougars led just once in the contest as WNCC grabbed a 26-25 lead in the first half thanks to a Reece Randolph 3-pointer. After that Casper went on a 10-2 run to lead 35-28. The Cougars traded buckets with the T-birds until the final minute when Casper went on a 7-0 run to take a 54-41 lead into halftime.
  • WNCC men fall to Western Wyoming in overtime
    January 09, 2025
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team received 34 points from Mathiang Maker, but it wasn’t enough as Western Wyoming Community College outscored the Cougars 19-8 in overtime to claim the 109-98 win Thursday at Cougar Palace. It was the first game back for the Cougars and it was a tale of two halves. WNCC led 22-20 early in the first half, but allowed the Mustangs to score eight straight to grab a 28-22 lead. WNCC had the game tied at 33-33, but Western Wyoming went up by seven, 44-37 and then closed out the first half on a 7-0 run to lead 51-39 at intermission. The halftime talk fired the Cougars up as they came out of the lockerroom and went on a 16-0 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers by Elijah Hollins and Toms Linis to take a 55-51 lead. The Cougars held the Mustangs scoreless until Western Wyoming scored just inside the 16 minute mark.
  • WNCC ready to open second semester Thursday
    January 08, 2025
    The Western Nebraska Community College basketball teams have been practicing for the past week after the holiday break as they get set to open the second semester with contests Thursday through Saturday. The Cougar men, who capped off the first semester with a 95-91 win over Casper College on December 10, will open the second semester at home when Western Wyoming Community College comes to Cougar Palace for a 6:30 p.m. tip. The Cougar men are 5-8 on the season while Western Wyoming are 8-8 after topping Otero College on Saturday.
  • WNCC men play tough to down Casper 95-91
    December 10, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team will be heading into the semester break with a little momentum after the Cougars played strong defense down the stretch and earned a huge 95-91 win over Casper College at Cougar Palace. Casper came into the contest at 11-2 while averaging 100 points a contest. The Cougars, in their last five games, was averaging 111 points a contest. The two teams combined for 186 points as the Cougars buried 10 3-pointers and made clutch free throws to register their fifth win of the season. WNCC head coach Roybell Baez was pleased with how his team played down the stretch. He said the key was holding Casper’s Abdul Bashir down, who had several NCAA Division I coaches in the stands watching him.
  • WNCC men fall to Miles in high-scoring contest
    December 07, 2024
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College and Miles Community College men’s basketball team had a high-scoring contest Saturday on the final day of the Holiday Inn Express Classic in Gillette, Wyoming, where the Pioneers scored 69 second-half points to earn the 123-113 win. WNCC drops to 4-8 on the year and will wrap up the first semester on Tuesday when they host Casper College at Cougar Palace in a 6:30 p.m. contest. The Cougars shot 45 percent from the field but were just 24 percent from the 3-point arc (9-of-37), while Miles shot 56 percent from the field and were 42 percent from the arc (10-of-24).
  • WNCC men shoot past Little Big Horn 147-68
    December 06, 2024
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put on a offensive show Friday at the Holiday inn Express Classic in Gillette, Wyoming. The Cougars put seven in double figures led by Reece Randolph’s 38 points including seven 3-pointers in routing the Little Big Horn Rams on the second day of the Classic. The win moves the Cougars to 4-7 on the season. WNCC will wrap up the classic Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m. when they face Miles Community College. WNCC will then wrap up the first semester on Tuesday when they host Casper College.
  • WNCC men bury 14 threes, top NDSCS 91-89
    December 05, 2024
    GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team snapped a 4-game losing skid with an impressive win over North Dakota State College of Science 91-89 in the first day of the Holiday Inn Express Classic in Gillette, Wyoming on Thursday. The Cougars put five players in double figures in the win and buried 14 3-pointers in claiming the win. Kellon Harris led the way with 18 points with seven boards in the win. Elijah Burney followed with 16 points and went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.
  • WNCC men fall to Colorado Northwestern
    November 23, 2024
    TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a poor night shooting as Colorado Northwestern Community College buried 17 3-pointers and captured the 97-55 win Saturday at the Coco-Cola Invite in Twin Falls, Idaho. The 22 second-half points that the Cougars scored is the fifth-lowest second-half output in school history. The record is 17 points scored in the second half set in 1973-74 followed by two 20-point second half scoring against Air Force JV in 1991-92 and Northeastern Junior College in 2014, and 21 points against Eastern Wyoming in 2002.
  • WNCC men fall to College of Southern Idaho
    November 22, 2024
    TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team shot just 32 percent from the field and the No. 20 College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles captured the 98-69 win Friday in the Coca-Cola Invitational in Twin Falls, Idaho. WNCC trailed early in the first 13-6, but made a run to cut the deficit to 13-11 on a 3-pointer by Elijah Burney and a bucket by Toms Linis. CSI followed with a 12-0 run to open up a 25-11 lead and the Cougars couldn’t get to single digits the rest of the half, trailing 40-29 at intermission.
  • WNCC falls to Gillette in high-scoring contest
    November 18, 2024
    It was a tale of two halves for the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team Monday night at Cougar Palace against Gillette College. Gillette shot 72 percent from the floor in the first half and buried nine 3-pointers as the Pronghorns led 57-35 at halftime. The second half saw a different Cougar team, outscoring Gillette 56-45 but it wasn’t enough as Gillette recorded the 102-91 win.
  • Fast start lifts WNCC men over LCCC 94-72
    November 13, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team had a fast start behind the dunking of Kendrick Preston and the hot 3-point shooting to power the team over Laramie County Community College 94-72 Wednesday evening at Cougar Palace. The win was a marked contrast to their game on Tuesday against Eastern Wyoming College where the team didn’t score 30 points. Wednesday, the Cougars shot 56 percent from the field and buried 15 3-pointers. “We played a lot better than what we have been,” WNCC head coach Roybell Baez said. “We shot really well hitting 15 threes and it felt like everything we through up tonight went in and that is the game. There is not much to it.”
  • WNCC men fall in overtime heartbreaker to EWC
    November 12, 2024
    TORRINGTON, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team let a win slip through their fingertips as the Eastern Wyoming College Lancers hit late free throws to register the 83-80 overtime win Tuesday in Torrington, Wyoming. The Cougars will have little time to look back on the defeat as WNCC hosts Laramie County Community College Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. WNCC will need to learn quick from the mistakes in the EWC as they get ready for some big contests in the next couple of weeks.
  • WNCC men top EWC in home opener
    November 06, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team received a combined 41 points from Kellon Harris and Elijah Hollins as the Cougars won their home opener on Wednesday 71-64 over Eastern Wyoming College. WNCC head coach Roybell Baez said it was a tale of two halves, but his team found a way to win in the second half. WNCC led 35-22 at halftime and were outscored 42-36 in the second half. “We played like a team that has a bunch of freshmen and a freshman coach, I can tell you that much,” Baez said. “We came out in the first half and we were hot. We played pretty good defense in the first half and then in the second half, they came out desperate, down by 13 at half. They hit shots, were aggressive and going to the rim and we were settling for bad shots. When I called that last time out, I told the fellas we have to take better shots and take care of the ball.”
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