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Northwest On Mend As It Shoots For Third Seed
A last-second 3-pointer may have been the difference between a perfect week and a 1-1 split for the Northwest College men’s basketball team.
Sheridan pulled out a 90-87 win, and negated a 15-point Trapper comeback, with Patrick Savoy Jr.’s buzzer-beater from the right wing on Feb. 2 in the Golden Dome.
The shorthanded Trappers, who played with only eight men due to injuries, came back from a 70-55 second-half deficit and were an answered prayer away from overtime.
“We had only eight guys that played, so some guys really had to step up and play more minutes than they ever had,” NWC head coach Brian Erickson said. “You can just tell that they were tired and we didn’t have guys to give them a break.”
Northwest’s comeback attempt against the Generals was ultimately rendered moot, but Erickson said it proved a lot to him and the players.
“We’re down that much, to be a couple guys short and still be able to push through that fatigue and comeback was, and I told our guys, was pretty inspirational,” Erickson said. “Even though we lost I was pretty proud of them, they didn’t quit.”
The Trappers (14-11 overall, 5-5 in Region IX-North) salvaged the week with a 106-61 win at Little Big Horn on Saturday and remained a game out of third place in the Region IX-North.
“This week there’s a lot on the line,” Erickson said.
The Trappers hosted Miles City after press time on Wednesday (results can be found at facebook.com/powelltribune) and travel to Rock Springs for a 5 p.m. contest against Western Wyoming on Saturday.
The Mustangs (18-7, 6-4) are one game ahead of the Trappers, but lost 71-67 to Northwest in Powell on Jan. 21. Another Northwest win would give the Trappers the tiebreaker should the teams finish with the same record.
Erickson expects the rematch to be a tougher challenge than round one. The Mustangs are 9-2 at home this season, are 4-1 at home against Region IX-North opponents, and have won three straight home conference games.
“Last year is the first time since I’ve been at Northwest that I’ve won at Western. It’s a tough place to play on the road,” Erickson said. “If we can get this one against Miles, we’re fighting now trying to move up into third place.”
Erickson said Northwest’s week ended on a high note, one he hoped into this week’s action.
“Against Little Big Horn, guys were moving the ball, and just making the extra pass. It was the team that we’ve been looking for,” Erickson said.
Five players scored in double figured for the Trappers, who were led by Joel Maumba’s 27 points, which brought his week’s points total to 52 after a 25-point, 12-rebound performance in Sheridan.
“Man, he’s starting to figure it out a lot more. Just when to attack,” Erickson said.
Muamba nearly earned a triple-double in Sheridan.
“He needs to attack for us and he needs to score the ball, but the biggest thing that stuck out to me there was the eight assists,” Erickson said. “That’s one thing we really tried to work with him on.
“Not a lot of guys can guard him, so when they come over and double team him … getting the ball out of his hands a little bit quicker, he’s starting to learn to play within our offense.”
Freshman Sukhjot Bains added 18 points and nine rebounds in the win at Little Big Horn, and posted a season-high 24 points and 16 rebounds against Sheridan.
Freshman Leve Londole had 15 points and seven rebounds against the Rams.
Sophomores Jordon Rood (13 points) and Skyler Zabriskie (11) also reached double digits in the win.
Freshman guard Grantham Gillard sat out both games with a foot injury after scoring at least 22 points in his previous three games.
Erickson said Gillard, along with freshman Jordy Telfort, who also missed both games due to injury, should be good to go this week.
Sophomore forward Dan Milota may be cleared this week to play for the first time since Dec. 31. Milota averaged 12.6 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game in just 12 games this season.
The return of the veteran Czech post would give Northwest something it hasn’t had since the first month of the season — a healthy roster.
“We haven’t had a full team since Nov. 13,” Erickson said. “We’ve lost some tough ones without certain guys. But if we can get healthy and stay healthy, I think we’re a pretty scary team.”