MCC men tip off basketball season with win at Laramie

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The McCook Community College basketball team had a strong start and a strong finish Friday to open the season with an 88-83 win over Laramie County Community College.

The Indians raced to a 7-0 lead, trailed 51-43 at halftime, went down by 13 points with 8:32 left in the game but dialed up the defense and rode a balanced scoring attack to enjoy a 20-5 advantage in the last seven minutes of the game to overcome the deficit and put the game away.

“It was a group effort tonight,” said MCC Coach Dillon Hargrove, making his McCook coaching debut. “Our guys faced adversity and had resilience and composure through the second half.”

MCC scored the first seven points of the game and held the lead until the 5:45 mark of the first half when LCC went up 35-32 as part of a 22-9 advantage over the final six minutes of the first half. The Golden Eagles led at intermission 51-43.

LCC hit a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half and held a double-digit lead until the Indians whittled the lead to 74-66 with 7:33 left in the game.

A 3-pointer by sophomore Louie Tucker (Bristol, United Kingdom) with 2:44 left gave the Indians the first lead of the second half and he sank a pair of free throws with 1:23 left to give MCC the lead for good.

The Indians outscored LCCC 45-32 in the second half.

Tucker, MCC’s leading scorer last season, and one of only two returners who played last year – led MCC with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore transfer Norris Bourne Jr. (Beaumont, Texas) scored 14 points off the bench including a four-for-seven game from the 3-point line. Sophomore transfer (Tavarius Vinson, Chicago, Ill.) scored six points from the post along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots.

“Louie Tucker and Norris Bourne hit big time pressure shots in the second half and Tavarius Vinson dominated the paint on the defensive end,” said Hargrove.

Freshman Nate Coley, (Little Rock, Ark.) scored 12 points and grabbed seven boards while sophomore transfer Madison Peaster (Little Rock, Ark.) scored 11 points and led MCC with five assists and four steals.

MCC shot 46.7 percent from the field, made eight of 22 3-pointers (36.4 percent), and went 24 of 37 from the free-throw line (64.9 percent). The Indians outrebounded the Golden Eagles 50-38 but were a minus-7 in the turnover margin 21-14.

“We have to be better on the defensive end with finding their key guys and making free throws consistently,” said Hargrove. “We also have to do a better job of protecting the basketball but overall, I was happy with our fight throughout the game.”

LCCC was held to 34.4 percent from the field, shot 10-for-27 from distance (37 percent) and made 25 of 31 shots from the line (80.6 percent).

Phoenix Bullock led LCCC with 30 points but fouled out with 3:35 left in the game.

The Indians will continue the season-opening road trip in Wyoming with a Saturday game against Eastern Wyoming in Torrington then open at home Tuesday at 7:30 against No. 19 Garden City Community College.