The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams will host Northeastern Junior College in key South sub-region contests on Wednesday.
The No. 13-ranked WNCC Cougar women will open things as they look to continue their climb up the NJCAA polls when they take on the Plainswomen at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Cougar men, who fell to McCook Community College on Friday, will be facing a NJC team that is 7-3 on the season and winners of their last six games at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
The men’s contest looks to be interesting since WNCC has had plenty of overtime games and high scoring contests, including a 113-102 overtime win over Central Wyoming last week.
The NJC men are 2-0 in the sub-region after earning wins last week over North Platte Community College 75-62 and then topping McCook on Saturday 77-68.
The Cougar men enter Wednesday’s home contest at 6-5 after falling to McCook on Friday 82-74. The loss snapped a 3-game winning streak for the Cougars that saw WNCC defeat Central-Columbus 91-83, Laramie County 83-79, and Central Wyoming 113-102.
WNCC has five players averaging double figures after 11 games played. Chase Thompson is averaging 20 points while Them Koang is averaging 13.8. Issad Solano is right behind at 13.2 followed by Tayler Johnson at 12.1 and Agwar Nywesh at 11.7. Carter Brown is next in line at 9.9 points a game.
NJC has just two players averaging in double figures, led by Dalton Knecht at 23.5 points followed Jared Adams at 10.5 points followed closely by Cyler Kane-Johnson at 10.5.
The WNCC women, 10-2, have won their last five games and have scored 80 or more points in four of those five games. WNCC is coming off three-straight 40-plus wins, starting with a high-scoring win over Northwest College 91-76, which wasn’t 40 points. The next three were as they beat Central-Columbus 80-35, Laramie County 92-48, and McCook 89-45 on Friday.
WNCC is led by three in double figures. Alejah Douglas is averaging 18.5 points a game followed by Lidsey Mahoukou at 13.1 and Ky Buell at 11.8. Two other players are averaging around eight points a game with Payton Fields at 8.8 and Ashley Panem at 7.8.
NJC comes into Cougar Palace with a 3-4 record and a 2-game winning streak in topping Western Wyoming Community College 67-60 and then McCook on Saturday 62-61.
In common opponents between the two teams, NJC lost twice to Casper 78-39 and 95-43 and twice to Laramie County 80-67 and 75.62.
WNCC lost to Casper in double overtime 95-88 on the road.
NJC has two players averaging in double figures with Brionna McBride at 17.4 points a game and Bailee Hart at 11.3. Filippa Goula is right behind at 9.7 points a game.
After Wednesday, the Cougar men and women will have another sub-region contest on Friday when they travel to Lamar Community College.
