SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — It is not a sub-region contest, but the game between the Western Nebraska Community College and Casper College men's basketball team will be a battle among two of the top teams in Region IX on Friday night at Cougar Palace.
The Cougar men enter the contest ranked 19th in the nation at 17-3. Casper College is 14-5. Tipoff for the showdown is 7:30 p.m. The women will battle at 5:30 p.m.
Cougar fans are asked to wear white to support the team.
WNCC redshirt freshman Allen Beck said this is no doubt one of the biggest games of the year for the Cougars.
"If you look at their players 1 through 16, they are definitely the most talented team that we have faced,'' he said. "I think the key for us to come out on top is we need to execute our game plan and not fall into Casper's game plan. They have really quick guards and physical big men. We just need to execute what we need to do and come out and handle our business."
The contest showcases two teams that have a combined six players among Region IX's top scorers. Casper has four players averaging 11.3 points or more. Tyler Larson leads the way with a 14.1 average, followed by Jerrold Brooks at 13.2, Remi Dibo at 12.1 and Darrious Curry at 11.3.
WNCC has two of the top seven scorers in Region IX. Raul Delgado is averaging 21.7 points a game and is second in the region, while Maxwell is scoring at an 18.2 clip. Maxwell is coming off a career night on Tuesday against Eastern Wyoming as the sophomore finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds.
Beck said the key is starting strong and not letting up. Against EWC on Tuesday, the Cougars started with a 26-7 lead and then let up on the gas, allowing the Lancers to come back. Beck said they can't play that way Friday night.
"Coming out strong in the games really sets the tone for the rest of the game for us," he said. "EWC was really good at fighting back; where some other teams we played when we got up big they just collapsed. Defense is key. If we play defense and make them take bad shots and not execute their game plan we will have a chance.
The Casper women enter the contest ranked No. 6 at 18-1. The Thunderbirds' only loss came to the defending national champions and currently No. 9 North Idaho College 69-63 on Dec. 1.
The WNCC women have also been turning heads with strong defensive play. They enter the contest at 17-4 and have a four-game winning streak. The Cougars are ranked No. 7 in defense, allowing just 47.55 points a game.
After Friday's contests, the Cougar women will travel to face the Colorado Christian junior varsity on Tuesday. The men's team has two big sub-region contests next week when they host Laramie County Community College on Thursday before entertaining North Platte Community College on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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