McCook Community College edges NWC with last-second shotThe Northwest College Trappers saw their season come to a close in dramatic fashion Saturday night during a first-round loss at the Region IX Tournament in Sterling, Colo. NWC (16-15) fell 70-69 after McCook Community College's Lionel Robinson connected on a put-back attempt following a missed 3-pointer by teammate Trey Mosby. Robinson's shot beat the final buzzer and brought to an end the Trappers' hopes for a deep run in the tournament.“I feel terrible for our guys,” NWC head coach Andy Ward said. “They played so well, and it's really tough to lose a game like that. The ball just bounced in McCook's favor at the end. They missed the 3-pointer and it went right to one of their guys. I can still see it like it's in slow motion. (Robinson) got the rebound and he made his shot before the buzzer. The ball was banking off the glass as the lights were lighting up. There's no question it was good.“As tough as that was, our guys handled it well. They were obviously devastated, but they still handled themselves well and showed a lot of character and good sportsmanship.”Making the loss sting even more was the fact that NWC seized the lead in the second half after facing a double-digit deficit during the matchup's opening half. McCook opened the game with a 14-of-29 clip from the field and led by as many as 15 points before halftime. That lead, however, was trimmed to one point before the break, thanks in part to Trapper Casper Hesseldal. According to Ward, Hesseldal's ability to score against McCook was a key in overcoming the early point differential. The coach also commended the entire squad for its tenacious defensive effort, which also played a vital role in NWC landing in a position to win the game at the end. In the second half, the game continued to be a back-and-forth battle. Neither team held more than a four-point lead. With 1:30 to play, Javoun Martin trimmed McCook's deficit to 69-68 with a 3-pointer. It stayed that way as the game wound down to its final seconds. With 10 seconds remaining, Hesseldal went to the free-throw line for two shots, but he missed both. That set the stage for McCook's game-winning basket as time expired. Ward said Hesseldal, a freshman, placed a great deal of blame on himself for the loss, but added, that's not the way he should feel.“Casper stepped up big for us,” Ward said. “When we were really struggling in the first half, he was the one that was hitting shots and got us back in it. Without him, we wouldn't have been in a position to win it at the end. I know he feels terrible, but he shouldn't put the blame on himself. “When you lose a game by one point, every little thing is magnified, particularly things that happen late in the game. You can't help but wonder what you could have done that might have changed the outcome. It's one of those deals where you replay it over and over and over. But you have to accept it and learn from it. You have to cope with the bad, pick up and move forward. It's hard to get over things like that, but we will.”For the game, Hesseldal was the leading scorer for NWC with 18 points. He also had nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Point guard Julian Olubuyi added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Jordan Harris contributed with 13 points and six rebounds. The remainder of NWC's scoring was credited to Cody Ball (9 points), Ricardo Bodra (8), Anthony Harris (4) and Scott Odekirk (2). McCook was paced by Trey Mosby's 20-point performance. Alonzo Louis also finished in double figures with 15 points, and Javoun Martin added 11. Ward, following the loss, said Olubuyi was named to the All-Region IX Team. Olubuyi, according to his coach, received the most votes of all the players in the running for that honor. Olubuyi, a sophomore, played last week with a foot injury sustained during the Trappers' final regular-season game against Casper College. His injury was one of many that hampered several players in NWC's lineup.“Injuries are part of basketball,” Ward said. “Every team has something like that to deal with to some degree. Julian played, and it was a tremendous effort on his part. I know he was hurting, but he did well. He's an excellent team player and one of our captains. He's been a big part of what we've been able to do this year.”Ward also commended Ball and Jordan Harris for their efforts this season. Like Olubuyi, they are sophomores on a team loaded with freshmen.“We had a young team this year,” Ward said. “We finished with a little better record than the previous season, so we made some improvements. We'll be looking to take another step forward next year.”

McCook Community College edges NWC with last-second shot

The Northwest College Trappers saw their season come to a close in dramatic fashion Saturday night during a first-round loss at the Region IX Tournament in Sterling, Colo.

NWC (16-15) fell 70-69 after McCook Community College's Lionel Robinson connected on a put-back attempt following a missed 3-pointer by teammate Trey Mosby. Robinson's shot beat the final buzzer and brought to an end the Trappers' hopes for a deep run in the tournament.

“I feel terrible for our guys,” NWC head coach Andy Ward said. “They played so well, and it's really tough to lose a game like that. The ball just bounced in McCook's favor at the end. They missed the 3-pointer and it went right to one of their guys. I can still see it like it's in slow motion. (Robinson) got the rebound and he made his shot before the buzzer. The ball was banking off the glass as the lights were lighting up. There's no question it was good.

“As tough as that was, our guys handled it well. They were obviously devastated, but they still handled themselves well and showed a lot of character and good sportsmanship.”

Making the loss sting even more was the fact that NWC seized the lead in the second half after facing a double-digit deficit during the matchup's opening half. McCook opened the game with a 14-of-29 clip from the field and led by as many as 15 points before halftime. That lead, however, was trimmed to one point before the break, thanks in part to Trapper Casper Hesseldal. According to Ward, Hesseldal's ability to score against McCook was a key in overcoming the early point differential. The coach also commended the entire squad for its tenacious defensive effort, which also played a vital role in NWC landing in a position to win the game at the end.

In the second half, the game continued to be a back-and-forth battle. Neither team held more than a four-point lead.

With 1:30 to play, Javoun Martin trimmed McCook's deficit to 69-68 with a 3-pointer. It stayed that way as the game wound down to its final seconds. With 10 seconds remaining, Hesseldal went to the free-throw line for two shots, but he missed both. That set the stage for McCook's game-winning basket as time expired.

Ward said Hesseldal, a freshman, placed a great deal of blame on himself for the loss, but added, that's not the way he should feel.

“Casper stepped up big for us,” Ward said. “When we were really struggling in the first half, he was the one that was hitting shots and got us back in it. Without him, we wouldn't have been in a position to win it at the end. I know he feels terrible, but he shouldn't put the blame on himself.

“When you lose a game by one point, every little thing is magnified, particularly things that happen late in the game. You can't help but wonder what you could have done that might have changed the outcome. It's one of those deals where you replay it over and over and over. But you have to accept it and learn from it. You have to cope with the bad, pick up and move forward. It's hard to get over things like that, but we will.”

For the game, Hesseldal was the leading scorer for NWC with 18 points. He also had nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Point guard Julian Olubuyi added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Jordan Harris contributed with 13 points and six rebounds.

The remainder of NWC's scoring was credited to Cody Ball (9 points), Ricardo Bodra (8), Anthony Harris (4) and Scott Odekirk (2).

McCook was paced by Trey Mosby's 20-point performance. Alonzo Louis also finished in double figures with 15 points, and Javoun Martin added 11.

Ward, following the loss, said Olubuyi was named to the All-Region IX Team. Olubuyi, according to his coach, received the most votes of all the players in the running for that honor.

Olubuyi, a sophomore, played last week with a foot injury sustained during the Trappers' final regular-season game against Casper College. His injury was one of many that hampered several players in NWC's lineup.

“Injuries are part of basketball,” Ward said. “Every team has something like that to deal with to some degree. Julian played, and it was a tremendous effort on his part. I know he was hurting, but he did well. He's an excellent team player and one of our captains. He's been a big part of what we've been able to do this year.”

Ward also commended Ball and Jordan Harris for their efforts this season. Like Olubuyi, they are sophomores on a team loaded with freshmen.

“We had a young team this year,” Ward said. “We finished with a little better record than the previous season, so we made some improvements. We'll be looking to take another step forward next year.”