NWC MEN WIN FIRST CONFERENCE GAME

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

In a tale of two games the Northwest College men's basketball team held on for an 88-81 overtime win over Laramie County Community College on Thursday night before cruising to an 88-65 win over Eastern Wyoming College on Saturday.      

NORTHWEST 88, LCCC 81 (OT)
Starting Region IX action the Trappers (13-7 overall, 2-0 Region IX North) welcomed in the Golden Eagles (8-9 overall, 1-1 Region IX North).
Northwest started out strong, holding an 11-6 lead five minutes in after an Eli Patterson jump shot.
That lead slowly grew over the next six minutes, as Logan Woolstenhulme gave Northwest a double digit lead at 26-16 with nine minutes left.
Northwest pushed the lead to as many as 12, and held that advantage going into the locker room after a late Trey Rinn 3-pointer made it 44-32.
In the second half that lead hovered around that same advantage, as the Trappers led 54-45 with 13:30 remaining in the game.
A quick run over the next 3:30 minutes gave the Golden Eagles life, as they trimmed the lead down to a single point trailing 63-62 with 10 minutes remaining.
Scoring slowed over the next six minutes, as the Trappers attempted to hold off the visitors until a 3-pointer with 4:11 remaining made it 73-72 in favor of the Golden Eagles.
The two teams went back and forth until eventually the Golden Eagles tied it with seven seconds remaining.
"To their credit they shot the ball well," coach Andy Ward said. "We stuck in there and got the thing to overtime."
The Trappers rushed down, and thought they had a chance at a final shot after it was hit out, but after a review it was determined it went off Northwest and the Golden Eagles had a chance at a final shot.
Patterson stole the ball, but saved it from going out of bounds straight to an LCCC player, who got a shot off and missed with no foul called as the game went to overtime.
Northwest started strong, going on an 8-1 stretch including a banked 3-pointer by Rinn to make it 85-78 with two minutes left, as the Trappers held the Golden Eagles to no field goals in overtime en route to an 88-81 win.
"It was an important game for us to win. Our first conference game and home game, so it was nice to see us stick in there and get one," Ward said.
Mateo Trujillo led with 19 points and six rebounds, Woolstenhulme had 16 points, Nayel Girard added 14, Rinn and Braydon Bradshaw had 11 each.
Girard led with four assists, Trujillo and Braydon Bradshaw had three steals each. R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle had the lone block.     

NORTHWEST 88, EASTERN WYOMING 65
Heading into Saturday the Trappers had a much different contest against the visiting Lancers (3-16 overall, 0-1 Region IX North).
Northwest started the first four minutes of the game on a 16-3 run, quickly establishing a comfortable lead over the visitors.
The Trappers pushed the lead to 20, as they led 31-11 with 11 minutes left in the first half.
It did not quite reach a 30 point advantage in the first half, but Northwest led 51-24 heading into halftime.
"We did a better job in the first half of rebounding," Ward said. "We especially pounded the offensive glass, and got second and third opportunities."
It reached 30 a minute into the second half on a Rinn jumper that made it 55-24. 
Overall, the lead reached as many as 36, as the Trappers were able to rest their starters through much of the second half en route to an 88-65 win.
"When you get a big lead you kind of have a tendency for whatever reason to go away from what's working … But it was a good weekend for us. You've got to win your home games and then steal some on the road," Ward said.
Trujillo led with 18 points, Bradshaw had a 16 point, 11 rebound double-double, Travis Theran Archibald had 11 while Patterson and Woolstenhulme had 10 each.
Girard led with eight assists, Tate Monroe, Isaac Wolfe and Woolstenhulme had two steals each. Patterson and Woolstenhulme had the only blocks.      

CONFERENCE ACTION CONTINUES
Northwest continues Region IX action this week, as the Trappers welcomed in Western Wyoming (8-10 overall, 1-0 Region IX North) on Wednesday night.
"They're a good team. They'll be prepared for us," Ward said. "They're always tough, well prepared and they've got some good players."
That result was determined after the press deadline.
Northwest heads on the road Saturday to take on Gillette College (8-9 overall, 1-1 Region IX North) in a 4 p.m. contest, before returning home next Wednesday to take on Casper College (5-14 overall, 0-2 Region IX North).
"This is kind of a little bit of a new schedule format, where we're not really playing any games back to back," Ward said. "It gives us a little bit of time for recovery, gives us a little time for preparation."   

NORTHWEST 88, LCCC 81 (OT)
Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()
Points — Mateo Trujillo 19, Logan Woolstenhulme 16, Nayel Girard 14, Trey Rinn 11, Braydon Bradshaw 11, Eli Patterson 9, Travis Theran Archibald 4, R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 4
Rebounds — Mateo Trujillo 6 (1), Nayel Girard 5 (1), Braydon Bradshaw 5 (2), R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 5, Logan Woolstenhulme 3 (2), Trey Rinn 2, Travis Theran Archibald 2 (1), Eli Patterson 1 (1), Tate Monroe 1
Assists — Nayel Girard 4, Mateo Trujillo 3, Eli Patterson 2, Braydon Bradshaw 1, Tate Monroe 1, Logan Woolstenhulme 1, Travis Theran Archibald 1, R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 1
Steals — Mateo Trujillo 3, Braydon Bradshaw 3, Logan Woolstenhulme 2, Eli Patterson 1, Travis Theran Archibald 1
Blocks — R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 1    

NORTHWEST 88, EASTERN WYOMING 65
Points — Mateo Trujillo 18, Braydon Bradshaw 17, Travis Theran Archibald 11, Eli Patterson 10, Logan Woolstenhulme 10, Trey Rinn 7, Nayel Girard 6, Isaac Wolfe 5, Tate Monroe 3, R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 1
Rebounds — Braydon Bradshaw 11 (6), Nayel Girard 9 (2), Mateo Trujillo 4 (1), Trey Rinn 4 (2), Eli Patterson 4 (3), Logan Woolstenhulme 4 (1), R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 4 (1), Tate Monroe 2, Isaac Wolfe 2, Travis Theran Archibald 2, Monybuony Kor 1
Assists — Nayel Girard 8, R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 4, Tate Monroe 3, Logan Woolstenhulme 3, Mateo Trujillo 2, Eli Patterson 2, Trey Rinn 1
Steals — Tate Monroe 2, Isaac Wolfe 2, Logan Woolstenhulme 2, Nayel Girard 1, Travis Theran Archibald 1, John Hendricks 1, R'Zha Zha'Quire Whittle 1
Blocks — Eli Patterson 1, Logan Woolstenhulme 1