South Platte Sentinel Wednesday, March 6, 2013 Page 24 Sports

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The Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen baseball team played its first four Empire Conference games of the season last weekend with a double-header at Otero Junior College Saturday and a twin-bill at Lamar Community College Sunday. In Saturday’s game at Otero, NJC swept the double-header, winning the first game 4-0 and taking the nightcap 3-1. Things went the other way for the Plainsmen Sunday at Lamar as NJC dropped the double-header to the defending Region IX Tournament champs by scores of 6-0 and 8-4. Lamar is ranked ninth in the nation this week. NJC will host McCook, Neb., Community College today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. in a single nine-inning Empire Conference game. On Thursday NJC hosts Williston State, N.D., College in a non-league double-header with the opener starting at 1 p.m. and the nightcap at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday will again be at home to host Trinidad State College in a pair of Empire Conference games

with the first game at 1 p.m. and the second contest at 3:30 p.m. NJC is 9-10 overall and 2-2 in the Empire Conference.

NJC baseball spilts twin-bills

By Ken McDowell Sports Editor CASPER, WYO. – After shooting nearly lights out in the first two games of the Men’s Region IX Tournament at Casper, Wyo., Community College, the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen fell to the North Platte, Neb., Community College Knights Tuesday in the semi-finals by an 84-59 score. NJC closes out the 2012-13 season with a 12-21 mark while North Platte (28-5), winners of 10 straight games and the number one seed out of the South Sub-Region, will move on to the championship game tonight (Wednesday) against Otero Junior College. North Platte is ranked 21st in the nation. NJC, the sixth seed out of the South Sub-Region, opened the tournament virtually on fire by whipping up on Sheridan, Wyo., College, 97-81. NJC was 35-for-65 from the floor for 54% and 10-for-27 from three-point land for 37%. Sheridan entered the contest with a 24-6 mark and was the number two seed out of the North Sub-Region. Sheridan defeated NJC 73-62 on Nov. 16 in Powell, Wyo. NJC didn’t let up in the quarterfinal game Monday by rolling past Laramie County Community College (LCCC), a team that the Plainsmen have owned this year, by an 87-67 margin. In that game the Plainsmen were 24-of-56 from the floor for 43% and 9-for-12 from three-point range for a blistering 75%. NJC defeated LCCC 83-73 at home on Jan. 16 and won in Laramie 76-67 on Feb. 16.

LCCC entered the game with a 21-10 mark and was the number three seed out of the South Sub-Region. Even though NJC had lost both meetings to North Platte this year (62-56 at home on Jan. 8 and 63-43 at North Platte on Nov. 27), the Plainsmen had every reason to believe the third time would be a charm due to the way they had played in the first two games of the tournament. But the Knights shut NJC down early and often, taking an early 7-0 lead. Sophomore Kameron Pearce hit a trey at the 17:00 mark to get NJC on the board and a bucket by freshman Odessa Lear kept the Plainsmen within four points at 9-5. That drive to the hoop by Lear would be the last field goal NJC would score for nearly 12 minutes as NJC could only muster 10 points from the free throw line. The next time NJC would score from the floor was on a bucket by freshman Joseph Dellenbach at the 4:30 mark of the first half. By then North Platte had built a 36-15 lead. The Knights led by as many as 21 points (44-23) late in the first half, and settled for a 46-26 advantage at the intermission. The Plainsmen were only 7-for-26 from the floor in the first half for 27% and 2-for-9 from three-point land for 22%. On the other end North Platte was 17-for-37 for 46% and 3-for-11 from behind the arc for 27%. In addition, the Knights had nine offensive rebounds in the first half with eight converted into points. Lear supplied the first four points for NJC in the second half, but the Plainsmen could not make up any ground. With 9:50 left in the game

freshman Bronson Moton, one of NJC’s leading scorers and top rebounder in the first two games of the tournament fouled out. North Platte went on to lead by as many as 30 points a couple of times before settling for the 25-point victory. The last time NJC advanced to the semi-finals of the Men’s Region IX Tournament was in 2009 in the Bank of Colorado Event Center. The opponent was once again North Platte, with the Knights winning by a 25-point margin, 86-61. Sophomore Jeremy McDonald led NJC in Tuesday’s game with 15

points, freshman Alexander Sattley came in off the bench to add 10, Pearce 9, Lear 8, Dellenbach 6, sophomore Jacob Lancaster 5, Moton 4 and freshman Jamal Peterson 2. NJC was out-rebounded 40-30 with Lancaster grabbing 8 boards and Moton and Dellenbach 5 each. Pearce, McDonald and sophomore Bobby Lebsock each had 2 assists. North Platte finished 31-for-64 from the floor for 48% and 6-for-18 from three-point land for 33%. NJC was 16-for-51 from the floor for 31% and just 3-for-16 from behind the line for 19%. NJC did shine from the free

throw line by hitting 24-of-28 charity tosses for 86%. Aboubacar Casse led North Platte with 21 points, Tim Simmons 17, Ethan Montalvo 15 and Jacob Maslo 10. In the semi-final game Monday against LCCC, Lear dislocated his wrist but still answered the call in Tuesday’s game despite the injury. “Odessa just wasn’t the same after his injury, but he played his best,” said NJC Coach Eddie Trenkle. “We played well the first two games by beating some good teams, but for some reason we struggled against North Platte.” In Monday’s quarter-final win over LCCC, the Plainsmen led 48-37 at halftime and never let up in the second half to post the 87-67 win. Lear led NJC with 19 points, Moton 16, Lancaster 11, McDonald 10, Pearce and Peterson 8 each, Dellenbach 7, freshman Austin Gamblin 4 and Sattley and Lebsock 2 apiece. NJC out-rebounded LCCC 46-39 as Moton was a monster on the board with 19 rebounds and Lear had 10. Moton also handed out 3 assists. In the opener Saturday against Sheridan, Lear netted 20 points, Pearce 19, Moton 15, Dellenbach 12, McDonald 11, Gamblin 6 and Lebsock 2. Moton had 10 rebounds in that game to record another double-double and Pearce dished out 11

Bobby Lebsock (front) is one of the sophomores leaving this year and Bronson Moton (13) is a freshman who will be back next season for the Plainsmen. (SPS Photo By Ken McDowell.)

Please See NJC Page 31

Plainsmen fall one win short of advancing to Region IX title game