TORRINGTON – Both Eastern Wyoming College basketball teams returned home Tuesday night in front of a limited capacity crowd for the first time in the 2021 season, and both games ended in losses for the Lancer teams against Western Nebraska Community College.

In the men’s game, the visiting Cougars went 4-of-6 from the free throw line with 0.7 seconds left on the clock to secure a 78-75 win over EWC.

Leading 75-74 with 10 seconds left on the clock, Lancer freshman Sofyane Nocara missed a pair of free throws, but WNCC drove the length of the court, putting up a shot attempt. The shot was off the mark, but the Lancers were whistled for a foul during the scrum for the rebound with under a second to go in the game, sending the Cougars to the line for a pair.

Things didn’t end there as Eastern Wyoming head coach Tim Moser was issued two technical fouls and was ejected for arguing with the official who called the initial foul. The technical fouls tacked on four additional free throws for the visitors.

WNCC freshman Jasiya DeOllos knocked down four of the six attempts to secure the three-point road victory.

Prior to the hectic finish, the Lancers led for the majority of the game.

After falling behind 15-7 in the early moments of the game, a 3-pointer by sophomore Nikola Ivkovic sparked an 11-2 run.

The Lancer lead reached as many as 13 at 70-57 with 3:47 remaining in the game prior to Western Nebraska’s comeback.

Eastern Wyoming went 1-of-4 from the free throw line in the final minute, while the Cougars went 6-of-8 during the same stretch.

Ivkovic led the Lancers with 13 points, while freshman Kayden Toldson added 12. Sophomore Carter Berish tossed in 11 and Nocara 10.

In the women’s contest, Western Nebraska used a 13-2 run over a four-minute span to break a 51-51 tie in the fourth quarter, handing the Lady Lancers a 72-63 loss.

WNCC raced out to an 8-0 lead before freshman Malin Beuck got the Lady Lancers on the scoreboard with 7:14 left in the opening quarter.

Beuck’s bucket was the start of a 17-2 run for EWC, taking a 17-10 lead with 2:28 left in the first.

The Lady Lancer lead reached 39-28 early in the third quarter prior the Western Nebraska comeback.

With 5:06 left in the third, the Lady Cougars regained a 43-41 lead, but by the end of the quarter, the teams were knotted at 51.

Coming out of the break, WNCC put away the Lady Lancers with a 13-2 run to pull away for the road win.

Freshman Natalie Kalaydjiev led EWC with 16 points, while freshman Mara Neira had 15. Sophomore Montse Gutierrez Ibanez added 13.

Both Lancer teams travel to Nebraska this weekend, facing North Platte on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and McCook Community College at 1 p.m.