MCC men pick up first Region IX win in double-overtime

MCC men pickup first Region IX win in double-overtime

TRINIDAD, Colo. It took two overtimes Saturday, but the McCook Community College men are in the win column in the Region IX South standings. MCC's win came over Trinidad State 91-89 after starting south division play with four disappointing losses.

"Finally! This was a great team win," said MCC Coach Kyle Drennan. "We got punched and fought back."

Down 68-65 with 14 seconds left in regulation, freshman Boaz Quinlan (Beavertown, Ore.) launched a 3-point-shot to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The Indians trailed 79-74 with 54.4 seconds left in the first overtime and with 5.2 seconds left, were down 81-78 when Quinlan was fouled taking a three-point shot. He was sent to the free-throw line, where he hit all three, to help send the game into the second overtime.

"We had guys who don't play a lot take full advantage of their opportunities when they presented themselves," Drennan said.

In the third minute of the second overtime period, a Quinlan 3-pointer and a break-away layup put MCC up 86-82 and a basket by sophomore Raheim Sullivan (Toronto, Ontario) with 2:00 left in the first overtime gave the Indians an 88-82 lead, but a Trinidad 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left closed the Trojans to 90-89. Sullivan hit one of two free throws left with 5.1 seconds left and Trinidad State wasn't able to get a shot off as time expired.

"We had guys diving on the floor and giving everything they had. I put 'get a win by any means necessary' on the board before the game and we did," Drennan said. "It was the most connected we have been all year."

Quinlan led MCC with 22 points, making seven of eight shots from the field, including five-for-six from the 3-point line and the critical three-for-three from the free-throw line at the end of the first overtime.

Freshman LeTre Darthard (Denton, Texas) had 19 points. Freshman Rahkiem Petterson (Midland, Texas) scored 14 points. Sophomore Raheim Sullivan (Toronto, Ontario/Moberly Community College) had 11 points and sophomore transfer Justin Costello (Omaha /Elkhorn South High School) added 10 points.

MCC shot 38 percent from the field, made nine of 35 3-pointers (25.7 percent) and made 22 of 29 free throws (75.9 percent).

Trinidad State shot 44.1 percent from the field, made nine of 30 3-pointers (30 percent) and was 20 of 31 from the line (64.5 percent). The Trojans out-rebounded MCC 57-25.

The Trojans fall to 12-8 overall and 1-2 in south sub-region play.

MCC improves to 9-11 and 1-4 in the Region IX South standings.

The Indians get a slight break in the schedule before the February push. MCC travels to Lamar Community College Friday, then go to Sterling, Colo. Feb. 4 to take on Northeastern Junior College.

The next home game for MCC is Feb. 7 when Western Nebraska comes to the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center.

For more information on MCC basketball and all MCC sports, visit the official site of MCC Athletics at https://mccindians.com/index.aspx?path=mbball

If you can't make it to the next MCC home watch it live at: https://mccindians.com/sports/2016/11/10/tw.aspx?tab=tribewatch