MCC men celebrate holiday weekend offensive fireworks

Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette McCook Community College freshman Dominic Williams (25) gets ready to slam dunk the basketball Nov. 30 vs. the York College junior varsity at the MCC Events Center. The McCook men ran to a 133-75 victory in the final game of the MCC Thanksgiving Classic. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

There almost weren't enough lights -- or electricity -- in the scoreboard for the McCook Community College men's basketball team over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The Indians cranked up the offensive machinery for a pair of lop-sided, crowd-pleasing victories in the annual MCC Thanksgiving Classic. McCook routed the Presentation (S.D.) College junior varsity, 132-59, in action Friday, Nov. 29. MCC then ran past the York College JV, 133-75, in the tournament finale Saturday, Nov. 30.

The tournament was played at the MCC Events Center in McCook.

Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette MCC sophomore LaMont Pruitt (15) tries to get to the basket against the York JV Nov. 30. McCook beat York, 133-75, and also breezed to a 132-59 win over the Presentation (S.D.) College JV Nov. 29 in the MCC Thanksgiving Classic. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

Otero Junior College of LaJunta, Colo., also earned a pair of wins in the McCook tourney. Otero topped the York JV, 93-66, in Friday's opener, and the Rattlers beat Presentation JV, 99-41, Saturday.

MCC head coach Brandon Lenhart has been employing a platoon system early this season, regularly using 10 players shuffling on and off the court five at a time. Lenhart used everyone in uniform for both weekend game. All 14 Indians players who saw action Friday got in the scoring column, while 13 players scored at least 4 points in Saturday's win.

FORMER McCOOK High School standout Cody Wudtke, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard, led MCC Friday with 20 points. Wudtke had 10 points against York Saturday. Wudtke said after Saturday's win that the Indians are becoming a tight-knit group with few weaknesses.

Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette MCC freshman center D'Andre Downey (33) skies above the basket against the York College JV Nov. 30 at the MCC Events Center. Downey tallied 18 points as McCook's men rolled to a 133-75 victory. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

" I really don't look at it as second string or third string," Wudtke said. "I think we're all really solid across the board. We don't really have one weak player. Coach said we're as weak as our worst player. But our worst player is the best player on some other teams.

"Ever since day one (fall workouts), we all kind of meshed. The first week we're all buddies. We're just a team, we play together."

SIX PLAYERS HIT double-digit scoring for McCook in Saturday's win. Evan Drake (6-2 freshman, Omaha) topped the list with 21 points. D'Andre Downey (6-8 freshman, Milwaukee, Wisc.) had 18 points. Dominic Williams (6-5 freshman, Denver) added 16 points and veteran guard Tony Dobbinson (sophomore, Stamford, Conn.) had 15. LaMont Pruitt (6-3 sophomore, Indianapolis) chipped in 12 points and Wudtke had 10.

Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette Demetrius Woodley (4) of McCook Community College drives to the hoop against the Presentation (S.D.) College junior varsity nov. 29 at the MCC Events Center. Woodley scored 19 points to help the Indians claim a 132-59 win. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

Dundy County-Stratton graduate Joe Rettele also had 5 points for MCC

McCook used strong full-court pressure to convert easy baskets throughout the weekend. MCC had 9 steals Saturday, led by Dobbinson with 4.

The Indians shot lights-out Saturday, hitting 46 of 61 field goals for 75.4 percent. Drake's 5-for-8 effort beyond the 3-point line fueled a 12-of-21 team effort from long range. McCook also missed just six of 35 free throws.

MCC raced to a 70-48 halftime lead, then outscored York 63-27 in the second half with Lenhart going deep in his bench.

FRIDAY'S WIN was a carbon copy for MCC.

McCook led 64-24 at intermission.The Indians outscored the Presentation JV 68-35 in the final 20 minutes.

Wudtke's 20 points led five McCook players scoring in double figures. Dobbinson and Demetrius Woodley (6-3 freshman, Milwaukee) each had 19 points, with LaMont Pruitt adding 12 and Adante Jones (6-7 freshman, Jacksonville, Fla.) with 10.

The MCC men improved to 7-2 with their fifth game scoring over 100 points and a four-game win streak.

"This is a special group," Coach Lenhart said. "This group reminds me of my 20-11 season, but we are better, though (this season). We had four alumni here, they said we are a way better (team) than they ever were. And we're playing a tougher schedule than they did."

THE INDIANS FACE a pair of tough Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) road games this week. McCook visits Southeast C.C. of Beatrice Tuesday, Dec. 3, followed by a trip to Columbus Wednesday, Dec. 4 to face Central C.C.

The team will stay overnight in the eastern part of the state Tuesday.

Wudtke said Lenhart stressed to the team that the mid-week games are must-win if the Indians hope to compete for the conference title.

"We've got to show up under pressure," he said. "We'll see if we're road warriors or we crumble."

THE McCOOK men and women are also scheduled to host Lamar (Colo.) Community College Sunday, Dec. 8, in a Region IX afternoon double-header starting at 2 p.m. at the MCC Events Center.