(Riverton, Wyo.) – CWC Men’s Basketball team faced its second NJCAA top 15 team in three nights taking on #3 ranked College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles (CSI). The Rustler’s struggled finding the bottom of the net eventually allowing CSI to pull away late, 88-77.
Though the final margin ended up being 11 points, the game was highly contested throughout. Fueled early by 3-pt shots from Darius Guinn and Connor Nelson, CWC came out the first 10 minutes of the game and jumped out to a 22-13 advantage. The early lead was held for a majority of the 1st half before CSI ended the half on a 7-1 run taking the lead into halftime, 43-40.
The second half saw multiple momentum swings from both teams. With CSI leading 63-55 and 71-64, the home team battled back to tie to the game 73-73 with 2:54 remaining. Over the final 2:54 though, the Rustlers were outscored 15-4.
The dismal shooting performance from the Rustler’s was the biggest factor in the game. Shooting 34.8% from the field, 26.7% from 3’s, and 65.6% from the free throw line, contributed mightily to the overall outcome not going the way of CWC. “Overall, I felt our guys competed and played well for the entire ball game. The reality is, sometimes the game can be decided by simple making or missing open shot opportunities. Our main scorers went a combined 7-27. For us to beat one of the best programs in the country we need every guy to maximize their role on the team.” Commented Coach Schmit on his team’s performance.
Darius Guinn was the leading scorer in the contest for either team totaling 17 points on 5-11 shooting (5-8 from 3’s). Jerroda Briscoe was one rebound short of recording his first double-double, ending the game with 12 points and 9 rebounds.
NEXT UP: Central Wyoming College (0-2, 0-0 Region IX) will host Rexburg United on Thursday, November 8th at 7:00 MDT. The Rustlers will also host Snow College on Saturday, November 5th at 3:00 PM.