Our guys played a great first half and found a defensive groove. We struggled in the second half to keep WNCC off the free-throw line but persevered down the stretch. It was good to see our guys handle adversity and stick together.”

Coach Bill Engel

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The Lancers travel to play Yavapai College in Salt Lake City on Friday, November 15 at 6 p.m.

TORRINGTON – The rivalry game between the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Lancers basketball team and the Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) Cougars on Tuesday, November 12 ended in a 70-70 deadlock at the end of regulation.

Digging deep, the Lancers outscored the Cougars, 13-10, in a point-for-point overtime period to score an 83-80 victory against WNCC before a large and excited home crowd.

“Our guys played a great first half and found a defensive groove,” coach Bill Engel said. “We struggled in the second half to keep WNCC off the free-throw line but persevered down the stretch. It was good to see our guys handle adversity and stick together.”

The Lancers hit the ground running in the first half to establish a 32-23 lead.

In a physical second half, WNCC matched EWC in scoring at 39 and a back-and-forth battle for the lead commenced. 

EWC regained the lead by one point, 67-66, late in the second half. The Cougars responded with a bucket and pulled ahead, 68-67, with 34 seconds remaining in regulation.

Two free throws by WNCC placed the Cougars up, 70-67, with 9.7 seconds remaining. EWC freshman Alain Nziza drew a foul while going for a 3-pointer and tossed in three shots from the charity stripe to tie the game, 70-70 and forcing the game into overtime.

Four minutes into overtime, WNCC found itself up by six, 80-74. The Lancers responded with a seven-point run, culminating in a jumper by freshman Vukasin Spasojevic and EWC recaptured the lead, 81-80, with 15.5 seconds remaining.

A solid EWC defense shut out WNCC’s attempt to score on the Cougar’s ensuing possession.

Freshman Jumarion Weh drew a foul and went two-for-two from the free-throw line to seal EWC’s win, 83-80.

Three Lancers scored double digits against WNCC, led by freshman LaThario Miller with 16 points. Fellow freshman Javier Gonzalez and Nziza both tallied 15 points. Spasojevic contributed six points with five apiece by Weh, freshman Jouk Mayan and freshman Eli Igiranez. Sophomore Khayree Rashed and freshman Russell Moorer rounded out the scorebook with four points each, along with three apiece by sophomore Bilal Cisse and freshman Jaironn Speights.

On the boards, Miller pulled down six rebounds. Weh grabbed five rebounds, Speights four and Spasojevic and Mayan each three.

Weh and Gonzalez both shared the ball with four assists. Miller totaled two blocks and Spasojevic and Nziza each collected two steals