Otero JC’s hot shooting sinks MCC Men in Region IX play-in game

The Otero Junior College men put on an offensive show Saturday in the Region IX play-in game to beat McCook Community College 104-77. The loss in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center ends the season for MCC as Otero moves on in the tournament.

"This was just a really tough one for us," said MCC Coach Jacob Brandl. "It stinks that the last game of the year we probably played our worst game of the year both offensively and defensively."

Otero raced to a 50-28 half-time lead and never looked back. The Rattlers shot 51.4 percent in the first half, then heated up even more in the second half shooting 62.9 percent to finish the game at 57.1 percent. OJC made eight of 21 3-pointers (38.1 percent).

"They were ridiculous good offensively. It seemed like everything they threw up went in and it didn't matter if it was a one-foot running jump shot, or a long three or a contested two," Brandl said. "They were just really good offensively."

MCC shot 36.4 percent in the first half (28.6 percent on seven 3 pointers) and improved to 46.1 percent in the second half (44.4 percent on nine 3-pointers), but the team could not shake the turnover bug, committing 21 for the game.

"We weren't very good around the rim, we got to the free-throw line which was great to see but we had 21 turnovers and we had talked about how we needed to take care of the basketball," Brandl said. MCC went to the free-throw line 41 times and made 31 (75.6 percent). Otero won the rebound battle 36-32.

Sophomore Simon Akena (Stockholm, Sweden) led MCC with 18 points. Freshman William Humer (Sollentuna, Sweden) score 15 and had six rebounds. Sophomore Madit Lueeth (Edmonton Alberta, Canada) scored 12 points and freshman Martel Evans (Omaha Creighton Prep) scored 10. Freshman Noah Boyed (Castries, St. Lucia) led MCC with seven rebounds to go along with nine points.

"At some point in everyone's life you're going to want something really bad, you're going to fight intently for it, crawling, scratching and you're going to lose. You're going to fail. That's life," Brandl said. "And that's what happened tonight."

Ikechi Chantilou led Otero with 23 points, Sebastian Cole added 22 as the Rattlers had five players in double figures.

Brandl said the team's six Region IX wins are the most since 2014. "And that's all the farther back I was able to look," he said.

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

"The fact we were able to do that shows a lot about our program and where we're at and the fight that we had because we got off to a bad start in January and kept fighting and digging and clawing," Brandl said. "I'm just super proud of our guys and love each and every one of them."

Otero improves to 14-16 and the Rattlers advance to the three-day bracket in Casper March 9-11. The teams will be reseeded following the first-round play-in games.

MCC ends the season at 11-20.

"I'm just really appreciative everyone in our locker room, all our sophomores that battled every day at practice, our freshmen who kept learning and getting better as the season went on," Brandl said. "I think from a culture standpoint, I like the direction our basketball program is at right now – having come from some tough spots over the last couple years to where we're at now, we're definitely moving in the right direction tying for second in the league this year."

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