Viktor Lukic-Gavric scored 24 points and the Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball put together a solid effort in registering the 87-78 win over Eastern Wyoming College Tuesday night at Cougar Palace.
WNCC placed four in double figures in the win while burying 11 3-pointers. Lukic-Gavric had four 3-pointers for his 24 points. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
WNCC also got 18 points from Amare Jackson followed by Isaiah St. Preux with 15 and Melchi Egbeyemi with 13.
EWC shot 47 percent from the field and made just seven triples. The Lancers had four in double figures led by Toney Collins with 15 followed by Drezdon Jensen with 14, Jairon Speights with 15, and Drezdon with 14.
WNCC head coach Roybell Baez said he was proud of the way the guys fought to get wins on back-to-back nights. Monday night the Cougars downed Miles and Tuesday night they had to battle back from an 8-point deficit to down EWC.
"Back-to-back nights and we closed it out and we took care of the ball," Baez said. "We moved the ball. We're getting the ball to the right person and it's something that early on we really weren't doing at a high level. I feel like now they're starting to understand that you have to play team basketball."
A lot of the success that they have had the last couple games lies with the defense. The team has been giving up 90 and 100 points a contest and the past two wins, the opponents have been held to only the 70s. Baez said a lot of that goes to assistant coach Trey Winkler.
"The last two games we gave up 73 and 78 points after averaging about 93 and that is a huge turn around. We've switched things up and credit that to Coach (Trey) Winkler. He's young and I've been in his position as far as being a young assistant and you try not to overstep your boundaries. I was like "'man I need you to be more vocal and tell me what youi think we should do. He threw some ideas out there as far as defense and I was like 'let's do it'. I said if you believe in it, I'll believe in it and they've been working so far. So, kudos to him. Winning at any level is hard and it takes to do that not only from the guys but from the coaching staff and I take pride in saying that I don't have an ego. I really don't. I want to win for the guys, and if that means that we take ideas from here and and ideas from there, then that is what we will do if it's going to help us win."
EWC led 11-5 early in the first half and pushed the lead to 23-16. WNCC kept fighting and went on a 13-5 run to take the lad at 29-26 on 3-pointers from Lukic-Gavric and Melchi Egbeyemi to go ahead 29-26. WNCC went on to lead at halftime 35-30.
The second half saw EWC cut the deficit to 40-39 after six straight points. The two teams were knotted at 53, gut the Cougars came back to take a 10-point lead at 67-57 as they outscored EWC 14-4 run to lead 67-57.
The last five minutes became intense as EWC trailed 72-63 and then went on an 8-0 run to trail 74-7e with 3:58 to play. WNCC responded with a 9-point run to go up 83-72 and won 87-78.
WNCC will have two weeks off before they head to Ephraim, Utah, to face Snow College on December 12 and then Utah State Eastern on December 13.
EWC 30 48 – 78
WNCC 35 52 – 87
EWC
Lorenzo Major 3, Dresdon Jensen 14, LaThario Miller 9, Vukasin Spasojevic 2, Isiaih Ayala 11, Ryan Aye 7, Jaironn Speighs 14, Nathan Mirich 3, Toney Collins 15.
WNCC
Melchi Egbeyemi 13, Isaiah St. Preux 15, Amare Jackson 18, Dorin Nguema 2, Toms Linis 7, Xavier Kirkpatrick 1, Kellon Harris 7, Vikto Lukic-Gavric 24.