EPHRAIM, Utah – In their first game back in nearly two weeks off, the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team competed with No. 2 Snow College. In the end, Snow registered the 127-91 win in the Snow College Holiday Invitational.
WNCC will wrap up the Holiday Invitational Saturday when they face Utah State Eastern at 2 p.m. Utah State Eastern defeated Casper College 85-84 in the first game on Friday.
WNCC stayed with the second-ranked team in the nation, who is now 12-0 on the season, for the first half. The first half saw a 17-2 run with eight minutes left in the opening half that put some separation in the game. WNCC trailed 25-23 on a Kellon Harris 3-pointer. That was when Snow started the run and led 42-25 and later 47-27.
That was when WNCC mounted a comeback to close out the first half, out-scoring the Badgers 13-9 to trail 56-40 at half. The Cougar run started with back-to-back buckets by Amare Jackson and a 3-pointer by Viktor Lukic-Gavric.
After intermission, Snow went on a 14-2 run to lead 70-42. WNCC got to within 23 points at 78-55 on a Harris 3-pointer, but couldn’t get any close as the Badgers used mini 4-0 and 6-0 run to win 127-91.
The 127 points scored by Snow is now tied for second on the Cougar record book. Gillette College scored 127 in 2014 while Northwest College holds the record with 128 points scored in the 1963-64 season.
The 71 points that Snow College scored in the second half is the second highest points allowed with the 73 points allowed in the second half in 2023 in the overtime game with Laramie County the most points second half points allowed.
WNCC shot 50 percent for the game while Snow was shooting 60 percent. WNCC buried 12 3-pointers to Snow’s 14 triples.
Rebounding was the big difference with Snow out-rebounding the Cougars 48-22.
WNCC five players in double figures, led by Jackson with 21 followed by Lukic-Gavric with 17, Harris with 16, Isaiah St. Preux with 12, and Xavier Kirkpatrick with 10.

WNCC 40 51 – 91
(2) Snow 56 71 – 127
WNCC
Amare Jackson 21, Viktor Lukic-Gavric 16, Isaiah St. Preux 12, Xavier Kirkpatrick 10, Max Orchard 7, Toms Linis 6, Dorin Nguerma 2.
SNOW
McCaden Adams 26, Bron Roberts 20, Brock McClure 18, Sean Felts 13, Keagan Caton 12, Kyle Lemke 10, Blake Bahr 9, Aaron Bliss 7, Jackson Rose 2.