MCC basketball teams play Thursday in second-round play.
The McCook Community College women’s and men’s basketball teams continue post-season play as the second round of the Region IX Tournaments resume in Casper, Wyo. and Scottsbluff, Neb.
The MCC women, won their Friday play-in game over Lamar 48-42. The Lady Indians (17-14) were the Region IX south’s fourth-seeded team among six teams. Lamar was the fifth seed. On Thursday MCC will take on the north’s top seed Casper on their home court, Swede Erickson Gym. That will be the final game of the day with tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (CT). The T-Birds are ranked No. 16 in the latest NJCAA Top 25 poll.
In other play-in results from Friday in the south region, Western Nebraska downed Trinidad State 100-51. In the north, Eastern Wyoming downed Laramie County Community College 72-66 and Gillette was an 85-68 winner over Northwest College.
Western Nebraska (25-6) will play Western Wyoming (14-16) in the first quarterfinal of the day Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (CT). The Cougars were the third seed in the south while Western Wyoming was the second seed. Gillette College (16-16) the north’s fourth seed will take on the top seed in the south, No. 19 Northeastern Junior College (27-3) at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Wyoming (15-15) the north’s third seed plays the south’s second seed Otero Junior College (13-16) at 6 p.m.
The Lady Indians faced Casper in the Hobbs, N.M. classic Dec. 17 and lost to the T-Birds 74-39.
Friday’s semifinal games are at 6 and 8 p.m. with the championship game to tipoff at 5 p.m. Saturday.
The men’s Region IX tournament will be the 64th in the region’s history and this year, the remaining rounds will be played at Scottsbluff with the south serving as the home site. Western Nebraska won the south division of Region IX and earned a first-round bye. The 22-8 Cougars will play the north’s fourth seed, Northwest College (14-17) in Thursday’s final game at 8 p.m. (CT).
Trinidad State (22-9) was the south’s second seed and will open Thursday play against third-seeded Laramie County (17-14) from the north. Tipoff for that game is 2 p.m. (CT). MCC (11-20) will take on the top seed from the north Gillette College (26-4) at 4 p.m. (CT) while the north’s second seed, Casper (23-8) plays the south’s third seed, Otero (14-16) in the 6 p.m. (CT) game.
In first round play-in games Saturday in the south, MCC pulled off an upset over Northeastern Junior College 78-76 in Sterling, Colo. The fifth-seeded Indians were tied with the third seeded Plainsmen 76-76 with 5.3 seconds left in the game. MCC inbounded the ball and went the full length of the court as sophomore Ty Foster (Bronx, N.Y.) hit the game-winning layup.
In the other play-in games in the south, Trinidad State beat Lamar 88-70 in Trinidad, Colo., and Otero downed North Platte 91-87 in overtime at La Junta, Colo. In the north, Northwest Wyoming was a 97-93 winner over Central Wyoming in Riverton, Wyo., Casper topped Eastern Wyoming 114-94 in Casper and Laramie County Community College was a 90-81 winner over Western Wyoming in Cheyenne.
MCC went 3-5 against teams in the north division, 2-2 against teams remaining in the tournament. The Indians have never won the Region IX championship and only reached the finals twice – in 1997 losing to Western Nebraska 77-59; and in MCC Coach Jacob Brandl’s first year 2021 when the Indians lost to NJC 89-71.
Up-to-date information about MCC basketball including schedules, statistics, rosters and photos can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com.
WOMEN’S REGION IX TOURNAMENT
FRIDAY’S FIRST-ROUND GAMES (South)
McCook 48, Lamar CC 43 (at McCook)
Western Nebraska 100, Trinidad State 51 (at Scottsbluff)
FRIDAY'S FIRST-ROUND GAMES (North)
Eastern Wyo. 72, Laramie County 66 (at Torrington, Wyo.)
Gillette 85, Northwest College 68 (at Gillette)
NEXT ROUNDS at Casper, Wyo. Thursday-Saturday
THURSDAY’S QUARTERFINALS (Seeding, record, time)
Western Nebraska (S3, 25-6) vs Western Wyoming (N2, 14-16) 1:30 p.m. (CT)
Gillette College (N6, 16-16) vs. Northeastern Junior College (S1, 27-3), 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Wyoming (N3, 15-15) vs. Otero Junior College (S2, 13-16), 6 p.m.
McCook CC (S4, 17-14) vs Casper College (N1, 25-5), 6 p.m. (CT)
FRIDAY’S SEMIFINAL GAMES
Western Nebraska/Western Wyoming winner vs. Gillette/Northeastern JC winner, 6 p.m.
Eastern Wyoming/Otero winner vs. McCook/Casper winner, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY GAME
Championship game, 5 p.m. (CT)
MEN’S REGION IX TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY’S FIRST-ROUND GAMES (South)
McCook CC 78, at Northeastern Junior College 76 (at Sterling, Colo.)
Trinidad State 88, Lamar 70 (at Trinidad, Colo.)
Otero JC 91, North Platte 87 (OT) - (at La Junta, Colo.)
SATURDAY’S FIRST-ROUND GAMES (North)
Northwest College 97, Central Wyoming 93 (at Riverton, Wyo.)
Laramie County CC 90, Western Wyoming 81 (at Cheyenne, Wyo.)
Casper College 114, Eastern Wyoming 94 (at Casper, Wyo.)
NEXT ROUNDS at Scottsbluff Thursday-Saturday
THURSDAY’S GAMES (Seeding, record, time)
Trinidad State (S2, 22-8) vs. Laramie County CC (N4, 17-14), 2 p.m. (CT)
McCook CC (S6, 11-20) vs Gillette College (N1, 26-4), 4 p.m. (CT)
Western Nebraska (S1, 22-8) vs. Northwest College (N6, 14-17) 6 p.m. (CT)
Otero JC (S4, 14-16) vs. Casper College (N2, 23-8), 8 p.m., (CT)
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Trinidad State/Laramie County winner vs McCook/Gillette College winner 6 p.m. (CT)
Western Nebraska/Northwest winner vs Otero/Casper winner, 8 p.m. (CT)
SATURDAY GAME
Championship game, 6 p.m. (CT)
