Plainsmen Joust Lancers

The Plainsmen men's basketball team has been on a dry spell lately and were looking for a game that could propel them into the last quarter of their season.  The men knew they needed to put together a solid 40 minutes of play to ensure their victory, so execution would be their best friend.  The last time these two teams played, NJC was able to get the 20-point victory at home, but with this game being in Torrington, anything could happen.

Right off the tip, the Plainsmen established their dominance by scoring early and often.  Northeastern would not let the Lancers have a chance and would start the first 10 minutes by going on a 31-6 run.  Having that big of a cushion would take the weight of the Plainsmen's shoulders, but knowing in the back of their head that they could go cold.  The best way to keep a hot streak going within a game is to keep scoring, and that is just what NJC would do.  They would tack on 16 additional points while only letting the Lancers add 11 of their own.  The first half score would tilt the scale in Northeastern's favor 47-17.  The second half would be much more subtle in scoring as both teams would make their shots and play defense.  With a dominating performance in the first, the Plainsmen did not have much to worry about as long as they managed the game and played solid defensively and continued to execute.  The game would end in a 25-point victory for the Plainsmen as they would defeat the Lancers 85-65.

Marcus Burwell would lead the Plainsmen in scoring by having 21 points and eight rebounds.  Next would be Ron Hall by earning a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Plainsmen will be on the road on Saturday January 27 as they play the Western Nebraska Cougars in another Region IX Conference game.