March 6, 2008

By Anthony Arroyo Journal-Advocate sports reporter

TORRINGTON, Wyo. -- Forty minutes wasn't enough to decide a winner between Northeastern Junior College and Eastern Wyoming College Wednesday evening. Neither was forty-five minutes.

Northeastern was the favorite coming in, with the better record, better ranking and the advantage of beating its opponent twice during the regular season.

But the host team, Eastern Wyoming, would not be denied on its home court twice.

After a slow start by both teams, NJC was suddenly down by 11 points, before battling back and forcing two overtimes. It was during the second overtime period that Eastern Wyoming put the game away from the free-throw line, earning a tough 77-71 win Wednesday.

Northeastern, who was defending Region IX champion, finish its impressive season with a 30-4 mark. Yet another slow start haunted the Plainsmen, who have struggled all tournament, but the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming didn't fare much better.

Eastern did eventually break through, jumping out to a five-point lead at 16-11 before an 8-0 run by NJC turned the deficit into a 19-16 advantage late in the opening half.

Both teams turned the ball over their fair share in the opening half, sending them in a virtual lock at 21 apiece at halftime.

The Lancers opened up the second half on fire and quickly opened up a six-point lead, before eventually hitting 10 points at 34-24.

Down 11 points, sophomore DeRay Wilson came to the rescue, as he has done all tournament long. Wilson drained two three-pointers to cut the deficit to five points. Freshman Alex Garcia-Mendoza sparked the team in the second half with his good play off the bench, including a big three-point basket with 7:44 to play.

It wouldn't be until the two-minute mark on the game clock that NJC would cut the lead to two points, thanks to a three-point play the old-fashioned way.

Wilson, on the following possession, would knock in a huge three-pointer, to put the Plainsmen up 57-56 with 1:37 to play.

It was NJC's first lead since late in the first half.

Eastern came back and hit two free throws to take the lead once again with about a minute to play. Lawrence Tyson, another spark off the bench, hit a lay-up with 53 seconds to go and NJC had the lead once again.

The Lancers, who were clutch all game from the line, hit another pair, leaving the Plainsmen with another chance to take the lead.

Wilson would drive the lane and force Eastern to foul. He missed the first and nailed the second, sending the game into its first overtime.

Northeastern took a 61-60 lead once, on a free throw by A.J. Wilson to open the first overtime, but Eastern would eventually take a 64-61 lead before sophomore Mike Dominguez hit a big three-pointer to tie it at 64. Back and fourth miss opportunities for both teams send the game to another overtime with the same score.

DeRay gave the team a 66-64 lead and Garcia-Mendoza did the same at 68-67, but the Lancers would begin to take the game to the free-throw line, where they had been clutch all game.

Slowly, the lead began to increase, and the Plainsmen could not answer. A tip-in by sophomore Eric Miller with three seconds left on the clock was the final bucket for NJC.

DeRay Wilson finished with 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half and overtime periods. Sophomore Troy Smith finished with 13 points, while Garcia-Mendoza added 12.

Eastern Wyoming is going to the big show for only its fourth time in school history. Last time the team went to Hutchinson, Kan., was four years ago, where the team placed seventh at Nationals.

The Lancers are currently 23-11 and were just 13-11 before their current 10-game winning streak.