Led by senior guard CJ Jennings’ 32 points, the Chadron State College men’s basketball team rallied from down 10 in the first half on Saturday against the Western Colorado Mountaineers.

After giving up 49 first-half points, the Eagles held their opponent to 35 on 34.5 percent shooting, in the second half, to improve to 5-5 overall, and 1-1 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
 
The Eagles, in only 10 games, matched the five win total they achieved last season over 13 contests. They’ve also defeated Western Colorado in Chadron in six of the last seven attempts.
 
Jennings’ 32 points is second, only to Brian Rodriguez-Flores’ 35 against CSU-Pueblo in 2019-20, for single-game scoring by a CSC player in the Chicoine Center. He tied the mark which Teddy Parham, Jr., recorded against South Dakota Mines last season.
 
Sophomore guard Matthew Ragsdale scored the first two buckets of the game, en route to a 7-2 Mountaineers lead, before a three-pointer from Jennings knotted it at seven apiece at 16:33.
 
WCU junior guard Cole Sienknecht quickly answered, on the ensuing possession, with a trey of his own, and the visitors held onto a single-digit lead for another eight minutes until a three by senior forward Will Willis took the Mountaineers’ lead to 34-24 at 8:16.
 
The Eagles continued to play from behind, and they went into halftime down 49-41, despite shooting a solid 57.1 percent from the floor in the first half. Western shot an even 60 percent.
 
The story changed in the second half, when CSC started with a 28-10 run taking 11 minutes off the clock. The lead changed for the first time at 14:11 on a Jennings layup, making it 52-50 Eagles, and the run peaked at 8:53 with CSC up 67-57 following a bucket by junior guard KJ Harris. The lone field goal from Western during that stretch was a three by Ragsdale.
 
CSC remained comfortably in the lead until things got interesting with under a minute to play. Ragsdale completed a three-point “and-one” play, and sophomore guard Jaelan McCloud cut it to 84-82 with a standard three-pointer at 0:37.
 
It was 86-84 CSC with 24 seconds remaining, but CSC junior guard Marcus Jefferson, Harris and Jennings combined for 6-of-6 from the free throw line inside of 35 seconds, and Jennings picked up a loose ball to seal the 90-84 win for the Eagles.
 
Chadron State played “small ball” for the majority of the game, with several frontcourt players out with injuries. Freshman Beau Bragg and sophomore Taj Toney were the only forwards who entered, combining for 30 minutes total. Six guards shot 27-for-50 for a 54 percent night from the floor.
 
The Eagles, who were in firm control of No. 1 in the RMAC for three-pointers made in 2021-22, with 10.4 treys per game, only fired 11 attempts from long range on Saturday, hitting five. Rather, CSC went into the paint far more often, getting 52 of their points there, versus 34 for the opponent.
 
The Mountaineers were credited with 16 unforced turnovers, compared with six for CSC, leading to a 19-16 Eagles advantage in points off lost balls.
 
Jennings also finished as the game’s leading rebounder with nine, and shot 12-of-19 from the floor, 3-of-4 from three, and hit all five foul shots.
 
Three other Eagles finished in double digits. Jefferson had 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Parham finished at 17 points, five boards, and a game-high six assists. Harris was next with 13 points and four rebounds.
 
CSC held Ragsdale, who was stellar in last Saturday’s 38-point performance against an NAIA opponent from Texas, to a team-high 23 points. Willis added 17 and McCloud had 11.
 
The Mountaineers’ leading rebounder was sophomore forward Jordan Veening, with six.
 
Western fell to 1-7 (0-2 RMAC) in the loss.
 
Chadron State makes one of its longest road trips of the year next weekend, traveling to Westminster in Salt Lake City, and Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado. Both teams were winners on the road Saturday in their RMAC openers in Denver.

Lady Eagles Beat Western Colorado

The Chadron State College women’s basketball team (3-4, 2-0 RMAC) prevailed 60-51 over Western Colorado (2-5, 0-2 RMAC) in a competitive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest. 

Chadron State struck first to start the game. Three field goals were landed by three different players, and Samiyah Worrell put away two three-pointers to go up 12 points while helping to hold the Mountaineers to only 4 points.  

The Mountaineers brushed off their slow start and surged for 20 total second-quarter points. They shot 7-12 on field goals (58.3%) and 3-6 on 3-pointers (50%) while the Eagles were 4-15 on field goals (26.7%) and 2-5 on 3-pointers (40%). 

One of those three-pointers belonged to Worrell while the other was made by Jori Peters. The score was tied 24 apiece at the half.  

Samantha Coleman of the Mountaineers landed back-to-back three-pointers to open the second half to give Western Colorado the lead 30-24. They held the six-point lead over the Eagles at the end of the third quarter. 

With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Mountaineers up 48-39 and looking to put the ballgame away, the Eagles’ defense stepped up big-time to secure three rebounds and three steals.

That helped the offense explode for 24 points in the final period, led by Worrell. She swished a pair of 3-pointers in the final three and a half minutes give the Eagles the lead heading down the stretch. Peters earned an assist for each of those clutch baskets.  

Free throws by Bailey Brooks, Ashayla Powers, and Peters as well as a layup by Micheala Dammann gave the Eagles a comfortable nine-point lead to end the game. Western Colorado committed 10 turnovers in the last fram and was held to only 9 points by the stout Eagles’ defense. 

“We played with a lot of heart and intensity,” said Head Coach Janet Raymer. “The bench played a huge role. I am very proud of everyone.” 

The Eagles will be on the road next weekend to take on the Westminster Griffins (2-3, 1-0 RMAC) and the Colorado Mesa Mavericks (6-0, 1-0 RMAC).

Chadron State— Samiyah Worrell 20, Ashayla Powers 11, Jori Peters 8, Bailey Brooks 7, Micheala Dammann 5, Riley Aiono 4, Emily Achter 3, Tatum Peterson 2. Totals: 20-53 (7-13) 13-20, 60 points, 34 rebounds, 19 assists, 20 turnovers. 

Western Colorado—Samantha Coleman 16, Grace Kirscher 11, Emmery Wagstaff 7, Rachel Cockman 7, Katie Dalton 4, Natalie Jojola 3, Mia Lozoya 3. Totals: 19-43 (7-22), 6-10, 51 points, 28 rebounds, 14 assists, 23 turnovers. 

CSC Takes 11 Firsts At First Indoor Track Meet Of The Season

Chadron State College track and field athletes won 11 events and posted some excellent marks Friday and Saturday while opening their schedule at the Yellow Jacket Holiday Open Meet at Black Hills State in Spearfish. South Dakota Mines also competed.

Among the Chadron State standouts was Dan Reynolds of Granby, Colo., who won both the shot put and weight throw with personal best marks. 

Reynolds hit 52-feet, 7 ½ inches in the shot, nearly 10 feet farther than his best mark indoor or outdoors last year, and threw the 35-pound weight 60-6 ½, some 5 ½ feet farther than a year ago.

His weight throw is the fourth-best all-time on the CSC charts and a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II National Indoor Meet. 

Chadron State men also won three other field events. Emory Yoosook of Casper, Wyo., took the long jump at 22-3 ½, Joss Linse of Plattsmouth, Neb., won the triple jump by going 44-9 and Joe Dumsa of Sandy, Utah, cleared 6-6 ¼ while winning the high jump.

On the track, the Eagles’ Osvaldo Cano of Oshkosh won the 400 meters in 50.71 seconds and anchored the first place 4×400-meter relay. The other relay runners were Greg Logsdon of Yoder, Wyo., Harley Rhoades of Douglas, Wyo., and Osvaldo’s brother, Osiel.  Their time was 3:25.43. 

In addition, Creighton Trembly of Longmont, Colo., won the 60-meter high hurdles in 8.21 seconds, his career-best.

CSC women won four events, including the 4×400 relay.  The team was comprised of Carlie Collier of Dunning, Neb., Danae Rader of Hansen, Neb., Hannah Christie of Alpine, Wyo., and Caydince Groth of Cheyenne.  Their time was 4:15.86. 

Groth also won the 400 meters in 1:01.79.  Other CSC winners were Jourdaine Cerenil of Pine Bluffs, Wyo., who cleared 5-5 in the high jump for her indoor best, and Julianne Thomsen of Custer, S.D., who won the pentathlon by accumulating 3,076 points.

                The CSC placings follow:
Men’s Results
                60 meters—2, Estabon Bozeman, 7.18; 4, Emory Yoosook, 7.13; 5, Kadin Perez, 7.29; 6 Harley Rhoades, 7.43.
                200—2, Emory Yoosook, 23.31; 3, Kadin Perez, 23.63; 4, Ishmael DePaulette, 23.88; 5, Jordan Nwalor, 24.26.
                400—1, Osvaldo Cano, 50.71; 2, Greg Logsdon, 50.92; 5, Osiel Cano, 52.04; 6, Logan Peila, 52.06.
                800—3, Steven Hinze, 2:10.74; 4, Jayson Caudell, 2:10.99.
                Mile—3, Daylon Weekly, 5:34.96.
                5000—5, Trevor Eisenbraun, 18:26.59.
                60 hurdles—1, Creighton Trembly, 8.21; 2 Dylan Francis, 8.33.
                4×400 relay—1. Chadron State (Greg Logsdon, Osiel Cano, Harley Rhoades, Osvaldo Cano), 3:25.43.
                Shot put—1, Dan Reynolds, 52-7 ½; 2, Shane Collins, 50- ½; 3, Parker Gonser, 49- ¾; 4, Reid Spady, 47-10.
                35-pound weight throw—1, Dan Reynolds, 60-4 ½; 2, Shane Collins, 54-1; 4, Parker Gonser, 48- ½; 6, Reid Spady, 45-6 1.2,  
                Long jump—1, Emory Yoosook, 22-3 ½; 2, Ishmael DePaulitte, 21-6  ¼; 3, Joss Linse, 20-9; 5, Brock Voth, 20-4 ½;  6, Charles Schiaffo, 19-7.
                Triple jump—1, Joss Linse, 44-9; 3, Brock Voth, 44-2.
                High jump—1, Joe Dumsa, 6-6 ¼; 2, Hector Ortega, 6-4 ¼; 3, Conner McCracken, 6- ½.
                Pole vault—2, Quintin Emerson, 12-11 ¾.Women’s Events                400 meters—1, Caydince Groth, 1:01.79; 2, Carlie Collier, 1:02.44; 3, Michaela Hill, 1:04.89.
                60 hurdles—2, Danae Rader, 9.64.
                4×400 relay—1 Chadron State (Carlie Collier, Danae Rader, Hannah Christie, Caydince Growth) 4:15.86.
                Weight throw—4, Courtney Smith, 52-8; 5, Madyson Schliep, 47-2 ½. 
                Long jump—2, Jourdaine Cerenil, 16-4 ½.
                Triple jump—3, Sammy Comes, 30-1 ½.
                High jump—1, Jourdaine Cerenil, 5-5; 2, Miranda Gilkey, 5-3 ¾; 3, Hunter Wiebelhaus, 5-1 ¾; 4. Destiny Pelton, 4-11 ¾.
                Pole vault—4, Kristie Hills, 10-6.
                Pentathlon—1, Julianne Thomsen, 3,076 points; 2, Hannah Christie, 2,995 points.