MCC Men to open post-season hosting Rattlers Saturday

The McCook Community College men will open the post-season at home Saturday against Otero Junior College. The Region IX tournament play-in game starts at 4 p.m.

MCC tied for second place in the Region IX South Standings with Western Nebraska, but MCC fell to the third seed because of the first tiebreaker – the Cougars swept MCC during the regular season.

Under third-year coach Jacob Brandl, MCC went 6-6 in Region IX south play and 11-19 overall. Otero finished tied for sixth in the south at 4-7 and 13-16 overall.

In other first-round matchups from the south, seventh-seeded North Platte (3-9, 13-15) travels to Western Nebraska (6-6, 15-14) and Lamar (5-7, 10-19) travels to Northeastern Junior College (5-7, 14-14). Top-seeded Trinidad State (12-0, 20-7) gets a first-round bye into the bracket stage of the Region IX tournament.

MCC started the Region IX south schedule 1-4 but went 5-2 in February.

"Taking care of the basketball is going to be a huge key for us. Both times we have played Otero we have had high turnover numbers," said Brandl.

MCC split its regular-season games with Otero losing 78-64 at home on Jan. 13, the first game out of the holiday break. At La, Junta, Colo., on Feb. 24, MCC won 93-84 on the strength of a 57.6 percent shooting night which including a nine-for-16 showing from the 3-point line.

MCC committed 17 turnovers in the 14-point home loss while the Ratters committed 10. In the win at Colorado, MCC turned the ball over 26 times compared to 10 for OJC.

"Some of that is how they play defensively they really get after the ball and deny and jump passes. The other half has been us just being sloppy and soft with the ball and our cuts," Brandl said. "If we can take care of the ball and give ourselves more opportunities, it takes pressure off our defense."

MCC's hot shooting in the win at La Junta helped MCC overcome those 26 turnovers.

"Obviously anytime you can make shots you make the game easier on yourself, but we need to continue to shoot the ball better, a lot of that is shot selection and executing sets and our motion," Brandl said. "We need to continue being active and moving."

MCC is last in field-goal percentage (42.5 percent) among the teams in the Region IX south, last in 3-point percentage (28.8 percent) and last in free-throw percentage (61.2 percent).

Statistically, MCC is second in the south in defensive scoring (75.1 points per game) trailing top seeded Trinidad State (71.1). The team is also second in rebounding trailing North Platte 39.9 to 39.8.

"Defensively everything starts in transition, Otero really wants to push tempo and get out and run you. You can help your transition defense by taking care of the ball so you don't have live ball turnovers which leads to easy buckets and the same can be said with the shots you take," Brandl said. "A bad shot can lead to a long rebound and a fast break opportunity for them. So we have to get back and get to 5-on-5 basketball."

Simon Akena (Stockholm, Sweden) a sophomore transfer from Three Rivers College, leads MCC in scoring, averaging 15.8 per game and 5.7 rebounds. He shoots 46.1 percent from the field, and 31.2 percent from the 3-point line.

Freshman Noah Boyed (Castries, St. Lucia), leads all Region IX south players in rebounds, averaging 8.5 per game, and also tops all players in blocked shots with 46. He's fourth in field goal percentage, making 56 percent of his shots. He is averaging 11.0 points per game, second on the team.

Martel Evans (freshman, Omaha Creighton Prep) and sophomore transfer Madit Lueeth (Edmonton Alberta, Canada) – who previously attended College of Southern Idaho –both average 9.7 points a game. Both players have missed six games because of injury. Evans shoots 45.6 percent from the field and averages 2.6 rebounds per game. Lueeth shoots 34 percent from the field, 29 percent from distance and averages 3.4 rebounds per game.

William Humer (Sollentuna, Sweden), freshman who is committed to Division 1 San Jose State next year, is averaging 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has come on late in the year with his 3-point shooting and is at 34.4 on the season (46.1 percent in February and 61.1 percent over his last five games.)

For Otero, sophomore guards Ikechi Chantilou and Kyrie Thomas led the team in scoring at 16.9 and 15.7 respectively. Sophomores Sebestian Cole and Courtney White are fourth and fifth on the team averaging 10.9 and. 5.2. OJC shoots the ball at 43.3 percent and 35.1 percent at the 3-point line and lead the region with 233 made 3-pointers this season.

"Otero is really active with their splits and actions they run staying connected. So not switching for the sake of switching will be big because when they get mismatches they take advantage on the drive," Brandl said. "If we can guard 1-on-1 and contest the 3 (as they have shooters), we will have a chance at the end."

A win would put MCC into the three-day tournament Marcy 9-11 where the teams will be reseeded.

For all the up-to-date information on MCC basketball this season and all sports including schedules, statistics, rosters and photos, please visit the official website of MCC Athletics at mccindians.com

MEN'S REGION IX

SOUTH STANDINGS

                              W - L        PCT.          (OVERALL)

Trinidad State         12 – 0      1.000           (20-7)

Western Nebraska   6 – 6        .500           (15-14)

McCook CC             6 – 6        .500           (11-19)

Northeastern          5 – 7        .417           (14-14)

Lamar CC               5 – 7        .417           (10-19)

Otero JC                 5 – 7        .417           (13-16)

North Platte            3 – 9        .240           (13-15)

NORTH STANDINGS

                             W - L       PCT.           OVERALL)

Casper College         7 – 2       .777             (22-6)

Northwest College    6 – 2       .750             (19-9)

Laramie County        5 – 4       .556             (15-11)

Central Wyoming      4 – 5       .444             (17-11)

Western Wyoming    3 – 5       .375             (16-12)

Eastern Wyoming     1 – 8       .111             (6-23)

SATURDAY PLAY-IN GAMES

SOUTH DIVISION

     Otero Junior College at McCook, 4 p.m.

     North Platte at Western Nebraska, 2 p.m. (MT)

     Lamar at Northeastern JC, 2 p.m. (MT)

NORTH DIVISION

     Eastern Wyoming at Laramie County CC, tba

     Western Wyoming at Central Wyoming, tba\