MCC men stop recent slide with home-court win

McCook High 2023 graduate Evan Humphrey scored eight points Thursday for the Hastings College JV team against McCook Community College Thursday evening. Humphrey holds the Bison all-time records for three-pointers for his varsity career and in a season with 94 in 2021-22. The total remains among Nebraska’s top 20 seasons all-time for all six classes. He was also a Class B state tennis champion as coach Matt Wiemer’s boys captured the team title.

mccindians.com

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College men’s basketball team returned home after four games on the road and snapped a three-game losing streak Tuesday with an 80-67 win over the Hastings College JV.

“We came out with low energy so in that second half we came in with a little different game plan, added some pressure and gave the guys a little motivation at halftime to play harder and I thought they did,” said MCC Coach Dillon Hargrove.

After the Broncos went up by seven points with 3:42 left in the half MCC came back to tie the game at intermission 35-35.

“They’re a good team, Hastings can really shoot it in,” said Hargrove.

The Broncos made eight of 17 shots from beyond the 3-point line in the first half (47.1 percent) and 41.4 percent overall.

Hastings JV had six turnovers at intermission, but the MCC pressure forced 16 in the second half.

“That had a lot to do with how our guards played defensively,” said Hargrove. “And it was good to see some shots fall and good energy in the second half.”

The MCC pressure also held Hastings to just four 3-pointers in 16 second half tries. For the game the Broncos shot 44.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from the arc.

MCC finished 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 56 percent from the free-throw line.

“I think this team will continue to get better and one of our goals today was to get our field goal percentage up, we were looking for 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 75 percent on free throws but we were atrocious there,” said Hargrove.

Five MCC players scored in double-figures led by 14 from freshman Nate Coley, (Little Rock, Ark.) and 13 from sophomore Madison Peaster (Little Rock, Ark.).

Sophomore transfer Dave Olaniyi (Newark, N.J.) had 10 points along with freshmen Da’Shawn Hall-Johnson (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Jason Robinson (Waterbury, Conn.).

Coley made three of four shots from 3, and Hall-Johnson two of three with the Indians connecting on eight of 21 from distance including five-for-nine in the second half.

Peaster paced the Indians on the boards with nine and Olaniyi had seven. MCC was outrebounded 38-35.

The Indians improve to 4-4 and take the weekend off and are home again Tuesday (Nov. 26) for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Central Community College. The Raiders are 4-3 on the season.

This will be the first of six games in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference.