Your future, our focus
The Northwest College men’s basketball team has won 14 straight games, but now it can’t afford to lose until next year because the next loss means the season is over.
“It’s scary,” sophomore guard Tyler Chandler said. “There’s no losing now.”
On Saturday afternoon the Trappers polished off Little Big Horn College, 104-74, at Cabre Gym, giving the school the right to host the Region IX Tournament for the first time.
No. 1 seeded in Region IX North, Northwest used a significant mid-game burst to top the No. 8-seed Rams in a play-in playoff game.
The remainder of the tournament is March 5-7 with the winner advancing to the National Junior College Athletic Association championships in Hutchinson, Kan.
The NCAA calls post-season tournaments part of “The Road to the Final Four.” This tournament is part of what is called “The Road to Hutch.”
Northwest, ranked 15th nationally, improved the Trappers’ record to 27-4. This is only the second season in program history a Northwest team has won that many. The 1966-67 team finished 32-4.
Little Big Horn, from Crow Agency, Mont., was short-handed, with just seven players dressed. Then sophomore Marty Wallace was felled by a knee injury with seven minutes remaining in the first half, freshman Jason Calf Robe cradled an injured arm most of the second half and two players picked up four fouls each.
The Trappers pushed to a 54-39 halftime margin and then unleashed an explosive 14-0 run early in the second half to go up by 26 and end all suspense.
All-American candidate Chris Boucher collected alley-up passes for dunks and powered in rebound follow shots.
An Arizona State coach was in the house to recruit the 6-foot-10 Boucher and the big man scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
Northwest displayed all of its weapons. Three other players were in double-figures, including Chandler, who scored 11 points while nailing 3-pointers coming off the bench.
Being home for the tournament should be a big advantage, he said.
“We have the home-court crowd and won’t have to take a long bus ride,” Chandler said.
Guard Colin May, who made timely shots early and finished with 9 points, said knowing the Trappers will stay home feels great.
“You’re relaxed,” May said. “It’s more of a comfort thing.”
Although it was considered likely, beating Little Big Horn at last made hosting the tournament a reality.
“Our guys deserve this,” coach Brian Erickson said. “Oh, man, there’s so much excitement on campus and in the community.”
Wallace, who departed from his final junior college game on crutches, said the Rams were in the hunt until things began going haywire – and then it was too much Boucher.
“We were in there,” Wallace said. “Height. That’s something you can’t teach. And he knows how to use it.”
Northwest not only has Boucher and high-octane point guard William “Nicky” Desilien, but outside shooting threats, aggressive defenders, and depth.
“We’ve had a great stretch,” May said. “Now it’s survive and advance. Keep winning. That’s all we’ve got to do.”
(Lew Freedman can be reached at lew@codyenterprise.com.)