Season ends for MCC men with loss to Cougars

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – Western Nebraska ended the season for the McCook Community College men with a 106-73 win in the Region IX play-in game Saturday.

 

After the score was tied 9-9, the Cougars never trailed, jumping out to a 52-4 lead at the half and completed the three-game sweep over the Indians this season.

 

“We played short-handed tonight, but I thought the guys fought the entire game,” said MCC Coach Dillon Hargrove.

 

MCC shot 44.1 percent from the field, made seven of 23 shots from the 3-point line (30.4 percent) and went 14 of 23 from the free-throw line (60.9 percent).

 

Western Nebraska shot 49.4 percent for the game, making 16 of 38 3-pointers (42.1 percent) and 15 of 18 from the line (83.3 percent).

 

Freshman Jason Robinson (Waterbury, Conn.) led MCC with 18 points. Sophomore Madison Peaster (Little Rock, Ark.) scored 13 and freshman Vladimir Brkovic (Uzice, Serbia) added 12.

 

Sophomore Norris Bourne Jr. (Beaumont, Texas) chipped in 11 and sophomore (Tavarius Vinson, Chicago, Ill.) came off the bench to score 11.

 

“Much appreciation to our sophomores playing hard every night this season,” said Hargrove.

 

MCC’s seven sophomores include: Peaster, Bourne Jr., Vinson, Dave Olaniyi (Newark, N.J.), Madison Peaster, Norris Bourne Jr., Meek Ater (Yirol, South Sudan); Sacha Boizette (Gatineau Quebec), (Marial Diper, Rumbek, South Sudan) and Vinson.

 

“Now we move on to the graduation chapter of this season and getting our guys to the best four-year schools possible,” said Hargrove.

 

Western Nebraska improves to 13-16 on the season and advances to a quarterfinal game March 13 in Gillette, Wyoming for the three-day, eight-team Region IX tournament.

 

MCC finishes the season at 12-19.

 

Up-to-date information about MCC basketball including livestream links, schedule, statistics, rosters, photos and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com