Streaking MCC men get Western Wyoming at regional

STERLING, Colo. — The McCook Community College men’s basketball team, 15-15, take the momentum of a six-game win streak into Thursday’s second round Region IX tournament game against Western Wyoming (27-4) in Sterling, Colo. at 3 p.m. (MT).

MCC downed Lamar Community College at home Saturday, 89-64 for the team’s sixth straight win to open the tournament.

The remainder of the men’s Region IX Basketball Championship will be held at the Bank of Colorado Event Center in Sterling, Colo. Tournament passes are available for $25. A Thursday-only pass is $12 and student day passes are $5.

The MCC-Western Wyoming game will be the second of four quarter-final games Thursday. The semifinals are set for Friday at 5 and 7 p.m. (MT) with the finals Saturday at 7 p.m. (MT).

The Indians have won six straight games including wins over Southeast CC, Trinidad State, Otero, Lamar, North Platte and Lamar again in the opening round of the Region IX Tournament. While all but the first of those six games have been at home, MCC’s margin of victories have been, 11, 11, nine, nine, 15 and 25. MCC has averaged 83.8 points in those six games (4.4 points more than the season average). Defensively MCC has given up an average of 70.8 points in those last six games (11.3 points per game fewer that the season average.)

Coach Kyle Drennan, in his first year at MCC and first year as a head coach. His team includes nine freshmen and three sophomore transfers. The coach is crediting much of the recent improvement to a defensive buy-in, offensive maturity and a young team that took a while to bond.

“There’s a feeling that people still aren’t taking McCook seriously,” Drennan said after Saturday’s first-round win. “This team is like the land of misfit toys. Back in July, none of us had anywhere to go.”