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Take Out Frustrations On Dawson
Mitch Clarke buried a 3-point dagger into the heart of Northwest College basketball fans and head coach Brian Erickson’s men’s program, hitting the game-winning shot from well behind the arc with three seconds remaining for a 68-65 victory. The Trappers bounced back the following night for a 98-56 blowout of Dawson.
Northwest and Gillette battled to even terms in the first half of Wednesday’s pivotal Region IX North contest. Gillette broke away for a brief seven-point lead early in the second half, but the Trappers quickly recouped the margin and what resulted was a game that saw the scoreboard tied numerous times and the lead change hands three times down the stretch.
Northwest held a slim but persistent lead for much of the game’s final 10 minutes, but missed on all opportunities to widen that lead to more than five points. Back-to-back turnovers by the Trappers allowed Gillette to draw level and the game remained tight with neither team able to take more than a one-possession lead in the waning minutes.
Gillette had the basketball with a final crack at the bucket, but the Trappers appeared to be successfully defending until Clarke launched a trey from several feet behind the left side of the arc for what turned out to be the game winner.
Northwest had allowed Gillette to hit just one of its previous 12 3-point shot attempts in the game up to that point.
The late-game drama from Gillette upstaged a simply phenomenal game by the Trappers’ Jeffrey Solarin. Solarin single-handedly kept the Trappers in a position to win the game for much of the night, finishing with 26 points and 18 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. Northwest’s trouble was that it couldn’t find any offensive support for Solarin in the game.
Aside from the sophomore’s 11-for-17 performance from the field, the rest of the Trapper team struggled to connect on just 14- of-48 shot opportunities, barely 29 percent. Junior Coleman’s nine points were the next-most by a Northwest College player. Freshman Franklin Uzonwanne added 10 rebounds while Jeremy Beehler dished out a team-high five assists.
The Trappers took their frustration out on Dawson the following night. Unlike Wednesday’s game against Gillette, Thursday’s home contest against Dawson displayed no offensive troubles by the Trappers. Northwest put four players in double figures and shot better than 58 percent from the floor in a 98-56 blowout that never saw Dawson hold a lead.
Junior Coleman finished with 19 points. Jonothan Newsom added 13 points while brothers Jeffrey and Gabe Solarin each knocked down 10 points. For Gabe Solarin, the performance was part of a double-double that also saw him haul down 10 rebounds as the Trappers owned a 44-22 advantage on the glass.
Twelve different Northwest College players scored in the contest as the Trappers held Dawson to less than 36 percent shooting for the night.
With the split of games, the Trappers moved to 15-8 overall and 4-5 within Region IX North play. The Trappers travel to Central Wyoming (17-3, 7-1) this Wednesday for their next hardwood action.
Gillette 68, Northwest 65
J. Solarin 26, Beehler 3, Uzonwanne 6, Coleman 9, Newsom 2, Carabagiale 5, Gordon 2, G. Solarin 4, de Andrade 8
Northwest 98, Dawson 56
J. Solarin 10, Uzonwanne 9, Coleman 19, Newsom 13, Gonsalez 1, Carabagiale 9, Gordon 3, G. Solarin 10, de Andrade 8, Hopkins 6, Checketts 8, Wakelin 2.