MCC Men absorb overtime loss at Northeastern JC, 61-59

STERLING, Colo. – The McCook Community College men lost their second Region IX overtime game this week, dropping a 61-59 decision Saturday against Northeastern Junior College.

MCC was unable to secure a rebound off a free throw at the end of regulation that would have won the game.

"This one really hurts as we let this slip away," said MCC Coach Jacob Brandl. "These are the types of games that you look at one play like the free throw rebound that we didn't get and pin point that mistake but we had a lot of them."

Damien Perry (Wareham, Mass.) led MCC with 13 points. Julian Lual (Calgary, Alberta) had 11 points.

Freshman Trey Summers (Greeley, Colo.) came off the bench to score 12 points on a pair of 3-pointers on four attempts. Ezichi Kalu (Lagos, Nigeria) led MCC with nine rebounds to go along with six points.

MCC shot 41.8 percent from the field, made just four of 15 shots from the 3-point line (26.7 percent) and nine of 13 free throws (69.2 percent). MCC was out-rebounded 36-28.

"We still continue to make bad turnovers on force plays," Brandl said. "That is killing us right now. That and rebounding tonight we just got physically beat up."

MCC held the Plainsmen to 35.1 percent from the field. NJC made three of 20 3-pointers and went seven of nine from the line.

"On a positive note, this was the fourth straight game we've held a team under 40 percent shooting from the field," Brandl said. "Defensively we are extremely tough. We just have to finish plays."

NJC goes to 5-8, 2-0 in Region IX South.

MCC falls to 4-14 and 1-2 in Region IX south play. On Friday the men head to eastern Colorado for another weekend of back-to-back Region IX games starting on Friday at Otero Junior College followed on Saturday with at Trinidad.

"Back-to-backs are always tough especially against a physical team like NJC but if you want to go the national tournament you have to win three in a row on three consecutive nights so I don't put much faith into that argument, we just have to be better."

The next home game for MCC is Jan. 22 against North Platte, starting at 5:30 p.m. The men will close out January at home with a Sunday game against Southeast Community College Jan. 30 at 3 p.m.