Men’s Basketball Comes Up Short in Two Tight Battles in Great Bend

GREAT BEND, Kan. - The Colby Community College men's basketball team delivered two of its most competitive performances of the early season at the Barton Booster Classic, opening the weekend with a 94–83 shootout loss to Northern Oklahoma College–Tonkawa before falling 78–68 to Northern Oklahoma College–Enid.

Colby shot an efficient 45.8 percent from the field and got production from all over the lineup, with five players scoring in double figures. Sophomore guard Aliou Diallo led the charge off the bench, dropping 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including a pair of threes, while also adding three rebounds. The Trojans' backcourt got another strong boost from Elias Agba, who posted 11 points, hit two threes, and went 3-for-4 at the line.

Freshman forward Gabe Njenga delivered one of his best performances of the season, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds while going a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw stripe. Giannis Asimakopoulos added 11 points and five boards of his own, providing steady interior scoring and energy in his 20 minutes. D.J. Cason chipped in nine points, dished out three assists, and went a flawless 5-for-5 from the line, while Owen Reece added six points and three steals.

Colby moved the ball well, recording 12 assists on 27 made field goals and held a narrow edge on the boards, 38–37. The Trojans also stayed aggressive offensively, earning 31 free-throw attempts. NOC-Tonkawa's scoring depth was the difference. The Mavericks shot 49.2 percent from the floor, hit 10 threes, and went 24-of-38 from the line. Ryan Rodriguez led them with 19 points, while DJ Howell added 17 off the bench.

Following Friday's (Nov. 14) performance, Gabe Njenga delivered a true breakout performance, powering Colby with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including two three-pointers, while also adding two rebounds and steady interior scoring. Kellan Simoneau provided a major spark off the bench, knocking down three threes on his way to nine points, and Owen Reece added another nine points, hitting a three and going a perfect 2-for-2 at the line.

Braedyn Gillespie chipped in eight points, connecting on two threes, while Giannis Asimakopoulos battled inside for six points and seven rebounds, along with two steals. Aliou Diallo added seven points and two assists, and D.J. Cason contributed five points and three assists while going 2-for-2 from the stripe.

Colby shot 36.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three, while turning in one of its best free-throw performances of the season at 90.9 percent (10-of-11). The Trojans also shared the ball well, finishing with 14 assists and nine steals on defense Saturday (Nov. 15). NOC-Enid countered with efficient shooting of its own, hitting 50.9 percent from the floor and burying 12 three-pointers, led by Dontrell Yearby's 20 points and six threes. The Jets also won the rebounding battle 41–26, giving themselves key second-chance opportunities.

Although the Trojans came up short on the scoreboard, the weekend made clear that the group is trending upward. Now 2–4, Colby turns its attention to the start of KJCCC play, where the strides made at the Classic will be put to the test. The Trojans open conference action at home this week against Independence Community College, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Colby Event Center.