The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team put three players in double figures and continued to play excellent defense in posting a 64-42 South Sub-Region win over Northeastern Junior College Saturday evening at Cougar Palace.

The Cougars were led by Gritt Ryder with 17 points and nine rebounds. Kelsey Doddridge also popped In 14 points, while Ashley Stevens tallied 12 points.

Doddridge said the team played well defensively, holding NJC to just 17 first-half points.

“We played really well on defense, holding them to 17 in the first and they finished with 25 in the second half. So, we were happy with how we played on defense,” the sophomore from Windsor, Colo., said. “But, we need to be a little bit tougher on offense. We had a couple turnovers and that won’t fly in the regional tournament. We just need to get tougher and run our offense crisper and cleaner, but overall we are happy. It was a good win and NJC is a good rival.”

More importantly, the win moved the Cougars to 8-0 in sub-region play and closer to hosting the regional tournament in March. Still, Doddridge said it will be nice to host regionals, but they are not looking that far in advance, they are taking it one game at a time.

“Hosting regionals is our goal, but we are taking it one game at a time and coach is not going to let us forget that,” she said. “Coach is not going to let us get ahead of ourselves. We have four tough games to go on the road. We are going to take it one by one and we are not saying we are hosting the regional tournament yet.”

While their defense was stellar, the offense was lukewarm. The Cougars shot just 38 percent from the field, while NJC shot 39 percent. WNCC was just 4 of 20 from the 3-point area, two of which came from the hot-handed Doddridge.

Offensively, what was working for the Cougars was their inside outside game, where they were finding cutters under the basket all night long.

“We pass really well with each other,” Doddridge said. “We always had a good commodore and we know where each will be. We just passed really well.”

The Cougars did share the ball well tonight, dishing out 19 assists. Ryder led the way with six assists, but at the same time Ryder was the recipient of some precision passing. Doddridge also handed out four assists.

The Cougars trailed just once in the contest as NJC hit the first bucket of the game. Doddridge then hit a 3-pointer with under 16 minutes to put WNCC up 3-2. From there, the Cougars led 10-5 on a Stevens bucket and pushed the lead to double digits at 21-11 on a Ryder bucket. WNCC led at halftime 31-15.

The second half was all Cougars as WNCC went up by 20 points, 45-24 on a Mikayla Brower bucket. After that, WNCC never looked back.

The Cougars, 12-13, will be back in action next weekend when they travel to Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College for key sub-region contests.

NJC        17 25 – 42

WNCC   31 33 – 64

NJC

Jordan Bishop 4, Jenna Vandenbark 5, Carle Cortez-Walser 4, Tiffany Mines 11, Karala Orona 2, Kylee Crumley 4, Charron Johnson 8, Ashley Kennedy 4.

WNCC

Mikayla Brower 5, Laurin Knox 1, Kelsey Doddridge 14, Gritt Ryder 17, Shalisa Moffit 9, Ashley Stevens 12, Jessica Aratani 6.

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team put four players in double figures and received 12 assists from Tahir Little in posting an 84-76 South Sub-Region win over Northeastern Junior College Saturday night at Cougar Palace.

The win was the Cougar’s second in a row but more importantly the Cougars leap-frog NJC in the sub-region standings. WNCC is now 3-7 in conference play, 10-14 overall, while Northeastern goes to 3-8 and 6-18 overall.

Sebastian Suarez, who finished the night with 19 points along with Cody Johnson, said this team played well and they are starting to hit their peak.

“We had good practices this week and we have good communication,” Suarez said. “We are talking more and we have a lot of energy. We have been good teammates and that is why we have been playing better the last few games.”

The Cougars definitely shared the ball extremely well, dishing out 19 assists, with Little getting 12 followed by Suarez, Johnson, and Charles Ward with two each.

The Cougars also rebounded the ball well, collecting 52 boards. NJC had just 45 boards. Johnson and Quante Cooley were the workhorses on the boards with 10 each.

“We have been working a lot on the box out so we can focus on the rebounding,” Suarez said. “Rebounding is a key for every game.”

Amazingly enough, the Cougars had balanced scoring, especially when the team’s leading scorer Charles Ward doesn’t score until five minutes is gone in the second half. Still, with four players in double figures and a couple more with near double digits, Suarez said this is how they are going to win games down the stretch.

“We have to share the ball and we all have to score,” he said. “If one person gets 30 points and the rest get five, which is no good. We all have to share and we all have to score, and that is how we are going to win games.”

Johnson and Suarez led the way with 19 points each followed by Cooley with 15 and Ward with 14. Scottsbluff’s Zach Clemens and Rich Williams also had a nice night, each burying two 3-pointers. Clemens finished with eight points, while Williams had six.

WNCC only trailed once in the contest and that was early in the game at 4-3. At that junction of the game, Johnson started red-hot scoring the Cougars first 10 points, including three 3-pointers for a 1-7 lead. NJC tied the game at 10-10 but WNCC came back as Suarez slashed his way on drive for to the bucket for an old-fashioned 3-point play.

The Cougars continued excelling later in the half as Clemens nailed five points for a 27-15 lead before settling for a 36-33 halftime lead.

NJC opened the second half with a bucket to slice the lead to one, but WNCC scored the next five points to go up 41-35. WNCC opened up the contest to 18 points, 64-46, behind a 3-pointer by Clemens and two from Williams as they cruised to the sub-region win.

WNCC will be back in action Tuesday when they host Laramie County Community College at 7 p.m. in another pivotal sub-region game.

NJC                        33 43 – 76

WNCC                   36 48 – 84

NJC

Alexander Sattley 4, Kameron Pearce 16, Jeremy McDonald 16, Bobby Lebsock 5, Bronson Moton 11, Odessa Lear 16, Jacob Lancaster 2, Austin Gamblin 6.

WNCC

Zach Clemens 8, Quante Cooley 15, Rich Williams 6, Trey Moore 1, Charles Ward 14, Sebastian Suarez 19, Cody Johnson 19, Chad Calcaterra 2.

              COLBY, Kan. – Mariah Shepherd hit three home runs and Bianca Duran picked up two wins in the circle as the Western Nebraska Community College softball team registered a doubleheader sweep over Colby Community College on Saturday in Colby, Kan.

In the opener, the sophomore from Westminster, Colo., struck out 11 and allowed seven hits in leading the Cougars to the 8-1 win. The second game, Duran came on in relief and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in getting the 9-7 win.

In both contests, the Cougars offense was lively, pounding out a combined 24 hits, including Shepherd’s three home runs to push the Cougars to 3-1 on the season.

The first game was all WNCC from the start. Shepherd got things going with a 3-run shot in the first inning. The Cougars pushed that to 5-1 after two innings. WNCC didn’t score again until the sixth with three runs on three hits.

WNCC had three players record multiple hits. Shelby McGraw went 2-for-2 , while Kayla Romey went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen Base. Lindsey Shiels-Brophy also finished with a 2-for-4 game.

The second game was a battle where the Cougars came from behind to capture the win. WNCC scored three times in the first. Duran started the explosive hitting with a double and scored on a Jennifer Cottle single. Shepherd then hit a 2-run home run for the 3-0 lead.

The Cougars went up 6-1 with three runs in the fifth on three hits, including run-scoring doubles by Shepherd and Kasey Cash.

Colby came back to tie the game at 7-7 before the Cougars won the game in the seventh. Shepherd started things with a lead-off home run. Shiels-Brophy then doubled followed by a single by Nicole Weiss. Shiels-Brophy scored an insurance run by stealing home for the 9-7 win.

The Cougars pounded out 14 hits in the contest. Shepherd had three hits, two home runs and a double. Shepherd also had four RBIs and three runs scored.

WNCC, 3-1, will be back in action next weekend when they compete in the Midland, Texas, Tournament Friday through Sunday.

First Game

WNCC                  320 003 0 – 8 10 1

Colby                    100 000 0 – 1 7 5

WP – Bianca Duran (2-0); HR – Shepherd.

Second Game

WNCC                  300 031 2 – 9 14 2

Colby                    001 042 x – 7 12 0

WP – Duran (3-0); 2B – Duran, Shepherd, Jennifer Cottle, Kasey Cash, Lindsey Shiels-Brophy; HR – Shepherd 2.

LAS VEGAS – Despite receiving strong pitching performances in back-to-back games, the Chadron State College softball team suffered two losses Saturday during the second day of the Desert Stinger Classic hosted by Montana State University-Billings.

Western Washington scored one run in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to earn a 3-2 comeback victory and Notre Dame de Namur scored four runs – all unearned – in its 4-0 victory.

Chadron State, now 1-3 this season, will play Western Oregon today at 2 p.m. in the tourney finale.

The Eagles jumped on Western Washington early in the first inning when they scored two runs but CSC wasn’t able to scratch any more runs across for pitcher Aryn Grywusiewicz, who scattered six hits and struck out six batters.

Sarah Knudsen and Danielle L’Argent each went 2-for-4 with a double and Amy Schartz added a sacrifice fly in the game.

The two teams were poised for extra innings after Western Washington’s first two batters in the bottom of the seventh went down in order but the Vikings strung together three straight singles to escape with the win.

In the second game, Chadron State pitcher Kylee Polsley struck out eight batters, including six of the first 10 Argonauts, but they scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth following an error and added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

There was only 11 hits in the game and Chadron State had six of them. Polsley went 2-for-3 with a double to pace the offense.

Alex Helmbrecht, Sports Information Director

CHADRON–Chadron State got back-to-back wins midway through its final home dual of the year Saturday night against Western State Colorado University, but the Mountaineers won the other matches for 28-9 victory in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

Bruce Zurek, one of five CSC seniors to be honored prior to the dual, used his patented headlock to get the Eagles’ first victory.  He needed only 50 seconds to pin Cody Cole in their 157-pound tussle

Sophomore Dylan Fors got Chadron State’s other victory when he managed a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the third period to decision Austin Harris 6-1 in their 165-pound match.

Western State, now 10-6 in duals this season, opened and closed the dual with overtime triumphs.

The Mountaineers’ Stiegemeyer used riding time to tie the 125-pound match with Jace Johnson 4-4 at the end of regulation and then used a takedown to win 6-4.

In the heavyweight match, both Western State’s Kyle Graulus and Chadron State’s Mike Hill managed only an escape through three periods. Both had been warned for stalling and the second call against Hill late in the one-minute overtime period game Graulus a 2-1 victory.

Two of the Mountaineers’ eight wins earned bonus points.  Brandon Montoya scored a third period pin at 149 pounds and Sam Mangum took an 11-0 major decision at 197.

Western’s other winners included No. 2 ranked Eliot Copeland, who won 8-4 over Devan Fors at 174 pounds, and No. 8 rated Kyle Piatt, who won 8-2 over Jordan Debus at 184.

The Eagles’ dual record is now 6-8. Their final dual of the season will be this Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Colorado Mines in Golden.  They will host the NCAA D-II Super Region 4 tournament later in the month on Feb  22-23.

Con Marshall

125—Dustin Stiegemeyer, WSCU, dec, Jace Johnson, 6-4 in overtime.
133—C.J. York, WSCU, dec. Perry McAfee 2-1.
141—Corbin Bennetts, WSCU, dec. Josh McCance 6-2.
149—Brandon Montoya, WSCU, pinned Reed Burgener, 6:18.
157—Bruce Zurek, CSC, pinned Cody Cole, 50 seconds.
165—Dylan Fors, CSC, dec. Austin Harris, 6-1.
174—Elliot Copeland, WSCU, dec. Devin Fors, 8-4.
184—Kyle Piatt, WSCU, dec. Jordan Debus, 8-2.
197—Sam Mangum, WSCU, major dec. Chris Leak, 11-0.
Hwt—Kyle Graulus, WSCU, dec. Michael Hill, 2-1 in overtime.

LAS VEGAS – The Chadron State College softball team got its season off to a solid start Friday by exploding for 12 hits and 10 runs in its 10-2 victory over Northwest Nazarene in the Eagles’ season-opening game at the Fourth Annual Desert Stinger hosted by Montana State University-Billings.

In the nightcap, Cal Baptist erased a 5-0 deficit to earn a 13-8 victory.

Following the games, Coach Rob Stack said he was pleased to see how well his team performed offensively. The Eagles combined for 27 hits in the two contests.

Rebecca Wetsch led the Eagles’ offense in Friday’s opening game. Wetsch nearly hit for the cycle – she only needed a triple – and she blasted a two-run home run in the first inning that put the Eagles up early. She also added an RBI double and scored three runs.

Also for Chadron State, Amy Schartz added a solo homer, She Graham knocked in three runs with a single and a double in back-to-back innings and Sarah Knudsen drove in two runners with a single in the first inning.

Aryn Grywusiewicz earned the win in the circle for Chadron State. In five innings of work the junior hurler scattered five hits and struck out five.

The Eagles jumped on Cal Baptist early, taking a 5-0 lead after the first inning and a half but the Lancers scored six in the bottom of the third and added at least another run in the remaining three innings to escape with the win.

Three CSC players finished with two RBIs in the game. Knudsen hit singles in the first and second inning, Wetsch drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and a single and Schartz went 3-for-4 with two more runs driven in.

Also for Chadron State, Jessica Eatmon went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Katie Londo also went 2-for-4 and drove in a run.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—Colorado Mesa Men 68, Chadron State 37.

Mesa led by just 29-25 at halftime here Saturday night, but outscored Chadron State 39-12 in the second half while winning a men’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference basketball game 68-37. The Eagles managed just four field goals and four free throws in the second half.  Zac Bargen paced Chadron State with 12 points.  The Eagles are now 2-19 for the season.

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Colorado Mesa Women 82, Chadron State 37.

The No. 7 ranked Colorado Mesa State women’s basketball team improved its record to 20-1 Saturday night by overwhelming Chadron State 82-37 in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game in Grand Junction.  The Lady Mavericks held a 53-11 halftime lead after making 19 of 35 field goal attempts and Chadron State hit only two of 26.  The Eagles will conclude their home schedule this coming weekend, when Colorado Christian and Colorado Mines will visit.