After breaking a 4-4 tie, the Chadron State College men’s basketball team led all the away while defeating Nebraska-Kearney 91-72 Tuesday night in the Chicoine Center in Chadron.
The win was the first for the Eagles after they had lost three close contests, one of them in overtime and another by one point on a last-second shot. Kearney is now 2-4.
The Eagles led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but were ahead by only 42-37 at halftime. Chadron State owned a 54-43 margin with 4 ½ minutes into the second half, but Kearney trailed by only 58-54 midway in the half after its leading scorer, Darrrian Nebeker, put together an old-fashioned three-point play.
Chadron State then broke the game open by going 5-of-5 from three-point range in a 2 ½-minute span. Pat McClachlen hit the first triple, Isaiah Wyatt made the second and fifth treys and Marcus Jefferson and Jarrett Taylor each nailed one in between.
The spree put the Eagles ahead 73-60. They led by at least that margin the rest of the way.
CSC Coach Shane Paben was pleased with his team’s performance. He said the Eagles executed the offense well, used their quickness to play good defense and rebounded extra well. Kearney claimed just four offensive rebounds.
Wyatt was CSC’s leading scorer with 21 points on six-of-nine field goal shooting, including three-of-four from three-point range, and six-of-six at the free throw line. Diminutive Bryce Latimer tallied 17 points, MJ Foust scored 11, Josh Robinson 10, McLachlan nine, both Jefferson and Porter Anderson eight and Taylor seven.
Robinson was the Eagles’ top rebounder with nine while Taylor and Jefferson each handed out six assists.
Chadron State’s team stats were impressive. The Eagles shot exactly 50% from the field in both halves, going 16-of-32 in the first half and 18-of-36 in the second. They were 11-of-19 from behind the arc and 12-of-14 at the charity stripe. They outrebounded the Lopers 41-25 and committed just six turnovers.
Kearney also shot well overall from the field, going 30-of-61, but were just seven-of-23 from long range and went to the free throw line only seven times, making five.
Nebeker, a 6-6 super senior, finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds for game-high honors in both categories. Sean Evans added 14 points, Winston Cook 10 and Matt Brien nine and three others five apiece.
The Eagles will conclude their non-conference schedule this weekend by participating in the Permian Basin Thanksgiving Classic at Odessa, Texas. Their opponents will be Jarvis Christian College of of Hawkins, Texas, on Friday and Ecclesia College of Springdale, Ark., on Saturday. Both games will tip off at 1 p.m. Mountain time.
Chadron State–Isaiah Wyatt 21, Bryce Latimer 17, MJ Foust 11, Josh Robinson 10, Pat McLachlan 9, Porter Anderson 8, Marcus Jefferson 8, Jarrett Taylor 7. Totals: 28-68 (11-19) 12-14 91 points, 41 rebounds, 6 turnovers.
Nebraska-Kearney—Darrian Nebeker 24, Sean Evans 14, Winston Cook 10, Matt Brian 9, Tom Conneally 5, Jamison Gruber 5. Sean Murphy 5. Totals: 30-61 (7-23) 5-7 72 points, 25 rebounds, 7 turnovers.
Nebraska-Kearney 37 35 —-72
Chadron State 42 49 —-91
Three-pointers: UNK–Evans 2, Nebeker, Murphy, Gruber, Cook, Brien, all 1. CSC—Wyatt 3, McLachlan 3, Jefferson 2, Taylor 2, Latimer 1,