Men’s Basketball: CCC Wins Region IX

The Raiders scored 70 second-half points en route to a 98-90 win at Southeast Community College in the Region IX Tournament championship game in Beatrice.

The opening half was a struggle for the Raiders as they turned the ball over 16 times and shot 39 percent from the floor. Still, the Raiders were only down 33-28 at the half. In the second half, CCC shot 69 percent from the floor and went to the free throw line 27 times before claiming the tournament title.

"The guys fought hard for this victory," said CCC head coach Jerry Drymon. "When Jaxon Simons got hurt at the end of January, we had to change our identity some. Each player stepped up to fill his role and we had some quality wins down the stretch. I am really proud of the team."

Malik Mooving led four CCC players in double figures with 25 points, while Zack Rice-Gordon poured in 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Latrell Talley and Marquis Dotson each scored 14 points to round out the double-digit scoring.

The win gives the Raiders a 15-16 mark on the season.

Up next, CCC will take on the Blue Knights of Dakota County Technical College in the District 7 championship game on Saturday. The game will be played in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

The Blue Knights won the Region XIII championship over the weekend with a 104-99 overtime victory over Dakota College Bottineau. The Raiders and the Blue Knights met in last year's District G title game at Raider Fieldhouse. DCTC won that game, 68-65, on a bucket with 6.7 seconds remaining.