Two different types of games led to two different results for the Northwest College men’s basketball team to open Region IX action, as the Trappers lost to Casper College in a high-paced game …
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Two different types of games led to two different results for the Northwest College men’s basketball team to open Region IX action, as the Trappers lost to Casper College in a high-paced game 91-86 on Thursday before defeating Western Wyoming in a lower scoring affair 72-62 on Saturday.
CASPER COLLEGE 91, NORTHWEST 86
Kicking off Region IX play at home the Trappers (13-6 overall, 1-1 Region IX North) welcomed the Thunderbirds (16-4 overall, 3-0 Region IX North) to Cabre Gym.
Scoring was slow between the two teams early, as the Thunderbirds led 5-2 four minutes in.
Over the next four minutes the Trappers found better opportunities, taking the lead and making it a 14-10 game after a Kaden Christensen and-one.
Casper rallied with a 10-2 stretch, reclaiming the lead and making it 20-16 with eight minutes left in the half.
The two teams exchanged the lead back and forth the rest of the half, with neither pulling away as the Thunderbirds had the edge at the break up 41-37.
Casper’s Aaron Sievert started off the second half on fire from 3-point range, making six in just over four minutes as the Thunderbirds looked like they’d pull away holding a 64-49 lead.
“I was really encouraged by our composure,” coach Andy Ward said. “When they went on that 3-point barrage, I think a lot of teams might have rolled over, and our team didn’t. We kept fighting, kept playing and found ourselves back in the ballgame.”
Over the next four minutes, Northwest rallied back within five points before the Thunderbirds made it a double-digit contest again.
It took until just under seven minutes remaining for the Trappers to get within striking distance again, as a Colin Hayes jumper cut the lead to 76-74 and the Trappers attempted to reclaim the lead.
Casper held Northwest off, but the Trappers kept the contest close as a Drew Larson jumper with 3:28 left cut the lead to one at 85-84.
Northwest was never able to find its way into the lead, and another dagger 3-pointer with 1:48 left from Sievert made it a two possession game as the Trappers fell 91-86.
The Trappers did a good job holding Casper’s Abdul Bashir to a season-low nine points, well below his second best in the nation average of 27.5 points per game, but 33 points from Sievert, 10 of them 3-pointers, proved too much for Northwest.
“To his (Sievert’s) credit he knocked down shots. He’s a good shooter. He came in, he was shooting about 31% from three but I knew that he was capable of getting hot. I was hoping he wouldn’t get that hot. Ten of 14 from three, that’s an awfully high percentage from the arc,” Ward said. “I didn’t make a quick enough adjustment, that was a mistake of mine. We did a great job on Bashir, I thought we executed that part of the game plan really well.”
Hayes led the Trappers with 27 points, while Larson had 15 points and led with seven rebounds, Preston Condie added 13, Christensen had 12 and Tessi Thong had 12 and led with four assists.
NORTHWEST 72, WESTERN WYOMING 62
After the close loss the Trappers took a day off before meeting up with the Mustangs (10-11 overall, 1-2 Region IX North) on Saturday.
Slow scoring started the contest once again, as the Mustangs led 7-6 four minutes into the game.
Northwest found its scoring touch with a 14-2 run over the next four minutes, capped off with a Tate Monroe 3-pointer to make it 20-9.
Western pulled the lead back within five at 20-15 before the Trappers pushed it back out to double digits at 27-17 with 7:40 left.
The Trappers built the lead to as many as 20 as part of a 17-2 run, leading 37-17 with three minutes left in the half.
Northwest maintained its edge and led 42-25 heading into the locker room.
Western started scoring better to start the second half, but did not get closer than 12 points over the first eight minutes as Northwest led 52-40.
The Mustangs eventually cut the lead to single digits at 60-51, but the Trappers responded each time and kept the visitors from getting within striking distance.
Northwest kept the Mustangs from pulling off the comeback, and earned a 72-62 win to secure a weekend split.
“We shot 38% for the game, 32% in the second half, and won by 10. So we’re doing some other things really well,” Ward said. “We rebounded the ball pretty well, and defensively for the most part, we were pretty solid. Would like to put two parts together; play really well defensively and shoot the ball well, but sometimes the ball doesn’t go in at a really high rate and you’ve got to be able to rely on your defense.”
Larson led with a 17 point, 11 rebound double-double.
Hayes added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Ruben Bos led the Trappers with three steals.
LONG ROAD TRIP
Northwest will head out on the road for a busy week of action, playing three games in five days including a long road trip to southeastern Wyoming this weekend.
That long trip begins in Cheyenne, with the Trappers taking on Laramie County Community College (8-11 overall, 1-0 Region IX North) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
“They’ve got an athletic team and they’re led by their three starting guards. They’re all really good scorers,” Ward said. “We’re going to have to do a good job defensively, and then hopefully shoot the ball better than we did on Saturday.”
Northwest will then head up the road to Torrington on Saturday to take on Eastern Wyoming (4-15 overall, 0-2 Region IX North) at 4 p.m.
Northwest will wrap up its busy week with a trip to Riverton to take on Central Wyoming (5-14 overall, 0-2 Region IX North) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
CASPER COLLEGE 91, NORTHWEST 86
Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()
Points — Colin Hayes 27, Drew Larson 15, Preston Condie 13, Kaden Christensen 12, Tessi Thong 12, Ruben Bos 3, Tate Monroe 2, Trey Rinn 2
Rebounds — Drew Larson 7 (1), Colin Hayes 6 (2), Kaden Christensen 5 (1), Preston Condie 3 (1), Tessi Thong 2, Trey Rinn 2 91), Ruben Bos 2 (1), Tate Monroe 1, Eli Patterson 1
Assists — Tessi Thong 4, Colin Hayes 3, Tate Monroe 3, Kaden Christensen 2, Preston Condie 2, Eli Patterson 1
Steals — Preston Condie 2, Trey Rinn 2, Kaden Christensen 1, Drew Larson 1, Colin Hayes 1, Tate Monroe 1
Blocks — Tessi Thong 1, Drew Larson 1, Colin Hayes 1
NORTHWEST 72, WESTERN WYOMING 62
Points — Drew Larson 17, Colin Hayes 15, Kaden Christensen 9, Tessi Thong 8, Tate Monroe 6, Trey Rinn 5, Eli Patterson 4, Ruben Bos 3, Preston Condie 3, Ants-Kristjan Kalmus 1
Rebounds — Drew Larson 11 (3), Colin Hayes 7 (3), Ruben Bos 4 (2), Kaden Christensen 3 (1), Tate Monroe 3, Tessi Thong 2 (1), Preston Condie 2, Eli Patterson 2 (1), Trey Rinn 1 (1), Ants-Kristjan Kalmus 1
Assists — Tessi Thong 2, Drew Larson 1, Colin Hayes 1, Trey Rinn 1, Eli Patterson 1, Ants-Kristjan Kalmus 1
Steals — Ruben Bos 3, Tessi Thong 1, Preston Condie 1, Colin Hayes 1, Trey Rinn 1
Blocks — Tate Monroe 1, Ruben Bos 1