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Men’s Basketball adds Jobi Wall for Upcoming Season
April 23, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team is pleased to announce the signing of Jobi Wall, a 6’6” forward from Faith Christian High School in Arvada, Colorado.
As a senior, Wall led the Faith Christian Eagles to a class 3A State Championship, while scoring a team-high 15.4 points per game and pulling down 5.5 rebounds per game.
Wall poured in 417 points in his final year at FCHS, shot 62% from the floor, 80% from the free throw line and connected on an impressive 47% of his attempts from behind the arc.
Jobi capped a stellar senior campaign with 1st team All-State recognition, while earning the nod as MVP of the 3A State Tournament.
“We are so excited to have Jobi joining the Cougar family,” stated head coach Dave Daniels. “He is a great student, a great athlete, and most importantly has a mature personal walk with God. He is a winner who understands the commitment needed to achieve success on our level.”
Jobi will be graduating from FCHS this May with a 3.95 GPA.
Stamer Selected to Collegiate Basketball Invitational
April 9, 2008—CCU all-American forward Brian Stamer, has been selected to play in the prestigious Collegiate Basketball Invitational on April 24-26 in Wadsworth, Ohio.
The Collegiate Basketball Invitational is the most prominent event for college basketball seniors from NCAA II, NCAA III and the NAIA levels. There are only 64 players invited to attend from over 1,000 universities throughout the country.
As a senior, Stamer led the Cougars to their first-ever RMAC East Division Championship, and CCU’s first appearance in the NCAA National Tournament in 14 years.
Stamer finished his illustrious career as a Cougar with an RMAC Player of the Year nod, while placing first place in the CCU record books in seven career categories, including career points scored (2,007), rebounds (958) and blocked shots (115).
Cougar Season Ends with Loss at #1 Winona
March 15, 2008—The Northwest region’s #1 Winona State Warriors cashed in on 14-23 long distance attempts, held the Cougars to a 31% shooting effort and cruised to a 78-45 (box score) victory in round one of the NCAA tournament Saturday evening in Winona, Minnesota.
Each team’s offense got off to a slow start, as Winona held a narrow 6-2 advantage after six minutes of play.
Just when a low scoring affair looked to be in the works, Winona rattled off six three’s and two dunks over the next five minutes to put the Cougars in a 25-9 hole.
Brendan Puckett canned CCU’s lone three of the game with 4:55 remaining to cap a 5-2 CCU run and bring the guests to within 13 points (27-14).
The Warriors answered right back with a 14-6 run to take a 41-20 advantage into the break.
It was much of the same in the second stanza, as the Cougars couldn’t buy a bucket from deep, while Winona knocked down nearly every shot that went up.
On the game, the Cougars were limited to an 18-58 effort from the floor, while the Warriors sank 27-54 (50%) on the home town rims.
CCU managed a 40-36 advantage on the glass, including 17 offensive rebounds to Winona’s eight.
Brian Stamer led the way for CCU with 12 points and six rebounds, while Puckett chipped in 10 points and three boards.
Justin Neuhaus added seven points and seven rebounds in the Cougars loss.
Five players scored in double-digits for the Warriors, led by all-American John Smith who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite the loss, CCU can celebrate one of their best seasons in years, as the men won CCU’s first-ever RMAC East Championship and earned their first tournament berth in 14 years.
Cougars Go Dancing with Eighth Seed in NCAA Tourney!
March 9, 2008—For the first time in 14 years the CCU men’s basketball team has received an invite to the big dance!
Announced Sunday afternoon during the NCAA Division II selection show, the eighth seeded Cougars will tip-off the 2008 NCAA Division II Regional competition against the North Central region’s #1 ranked Winona State Warriors Saturday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. in Winona, Minnesota.
The 32-1 Warriors finished last season as the national runner-up, and head into this year’s tournament ranked #3 in the country.
Led by all-American forward Brian Stamer, CCU ended the regular season as the RMAC East Division champs, and advanced all the way to the conference finals before falling to Ft. Lewis in the RMAC title game.
The 18-12 Cougars are fresh off their best season since joining the RMAC, and now gear up for their first NCAA tournament appearance since the 1994 season when CCU was a member of the Colorado Athletic Conference.
Stamer Named to Daktronics All-Region Team
March 12, 2008—CCU’s Brian Stamer has been named to the Daktronics All-Region Second Team.
Stamer had a phenomenal senior season, leading the Cougars to their first-ever RMAC East Division Championship, the RMAC Shootout championship game, and CCU’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 14 years.
The 6’7” pre-season all-American is averaging 21.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and was selected by opposing coaches as the 2007-08 RMAC Player of the Year.
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Skyhawks Edge Cougars 79-73 for RMAC Title
March 9, 2008—The Fort Lewis College Skyhawks held off a late Cougar rally to escape with a 79-73 (box score) victory in the championship game of the RMAC Shootout Saturday evening at the Colorado State Fair Event Center in Pueblo, CO.
Brian Stamer rattled off his 13th double-double of the year with a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds in the CCU loss.
The Skyhawks did their damage on the offensive glass, out-dueling the Cougars 16-10 on the O-boards and scoring 19 second chance points.
Despite the rebounding disparity and an unusually chilly 24% shooting effort in the first half, the Cougars whittled an 18 point halftime deficit to just four with time running down.
Unfortunately, the magic finally ran out for the Cougars, as FLC drained four of their six free throw attempts down the stretch to hang on for the six point decision.
Rory Morgan finished with 14 points and six rebounds, and Tyler House tacked on 11 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
Ryan Jameson was one of five Skyhawks who finished the evening in double-figures, as the 6’0” guard unloaded for a team-high 16 points to go with four rebounds and four assists.
Without an automatic bid, the Cougars must now await an invite to the NCAA national tournament. This year’s NCAA selection show will be held on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. and can be viewed at www.ncaa.com.
The Cougars will be back in action this Tuesday, when they travel to Dallas, Texas, for an NCCAA regional game. Further information will be posted when it becomes available.
Cougars Lash Lopers 78-68, Advance to RMAC Championship Game
March 7, 2008—Brian Stamer was on another planet Friday night, as the 6’7” all-American forward exploded for 40 points and an RMAC post-season-high 21 rebounds to lead the Cougars to a 78-68 (box score) conference semi-finals victory over the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at the Colorado State Fair Events Center in Pueblo, CO.
The Cougars jumped ahead by five points (20-15) on a Peter Bailey three-ball at the 8:34 mark, and never looked back.
CCU extended the margin to 14 points at the half, and opened it up to as many as 17 early in the second half before cruising to the eventual ten point decision.
The NCAA selection show will take place this Sunday at 8:30 p.m., but the CCU victory will likely end UNK's streak of seven straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Bailey tacked on 12 points on 4-7 shooting, and Rory Morgan added 11 while going 3-6 from downtown.
Justin Neuhaus finished with seven points to go with a game-high five blocked shots.
Drake Beranek paced the Lopers with 18 points and six rebounds in the UNK loss.
The red-hot Cougars now face the nation's 16th ranked Fort Lewis College Skyhawks in the RMAC Championship game Saturday night in Pueblo, CO. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA national tournament.
Stamer, Cougars Advance with 79-69 drubbing of Metro
February 29, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team and the Metro State Roadrunners split their two meetings of the regular season, but it was the Cougars who got the last laugh this year, winning the one that mattered most with a 79-69 (box score) elimination victory over the Runners in the first round of the RMAC playoffs Friday evening at a sold-out Cougar Event Center.
Brian Stamer was his normal tour de force, erupting for 23 points, inhaling 17 rebounds and going 9-10 at the charity stripe.
The Cougars exploded out of the gate, jumping up by 13 points midway through the half on a Peter Bailey trifecta that launched the Cougar faithful into a frenzy.
On the verge of blowing the contest wide open, the Cougar offense missed eight shots and committed 5 turnovers over the next eight minutes that allowed the Runners to pull off an incredible 18-0 run and take a 34-29 lead into the half.
The Metro momentum would not last long, as Brendan Puckett got things rolling for the Cougars with a three on the first possession of the second stanza to put the hosts within 2 (32-34).
The Cougars eventually muscled back into the lead with 8:22 showing, when sharpshooter Rory Morgan sank a tough three from the corner.
That would be all she wrote for the guests, as CCU eventually pulled ahead by as many as 14 down the stretch to cruise to the decisive 79-69 victory.
CCU’s Justin Neuhaus was the long arm of the law Friday night, blocking five shots while tacking on 10 points and three boards.
Brendan Puckett finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Rory Morgan logged 15 points in the Cougar victory.
Terrell Burgess led four Roadrunners in double figures, as the 5-10 guard finished the evening with 21 points.
Marquise Carrington added 17 points, while Guiseppe Ciancio and Jesse Wagstaff scored 13 each.
The Cougars are now in the RMAC final four, and only two wins away from an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Stamer, Morgan and the rest of the Cougars now take the floor against the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at the Colorado State Fair Event Center this Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Stamer Named Player of the Year, Daniels Coach of the Year
February 27, 2008—The RMAC East Division Champion Cougars head into the postseason with even more steam, as senior forward Brian Stamer has been named RMAC Player of the Year, while the man at the helm, Dave Daniels has been voted by his peers as RMAC Coach of the Year.
Stamer added another dominant season to his resume in 2007-08, rolling off 10 double-doubles, and averaging 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Stamer collected five RMAC Player of the Week nods as a senior and unleashed for a season-high of 35 points in the regular season finale against Colorado Mines on February 23.
Brian entered his senior year as a Basketball Times Top 25 All-American, a Division II Bulletin Honorable Mention All-American and the RMAC Pre-season Player of the Year.
Joining Stamer on the postseason honor roll is Head Coach Dave Daniels. Coach Daniels guided the Cougars to a 13-6 conference mark, their best record since joining the RMAC and CCU’s first ever RMAC East-Division championship.
One of the NCAA’s premier up-and-coming coaches, Daniels has led the men to two consecutive conference playoff appearances in only three seasons as head coach.
A stalwart on the recruiting trails and an expert in individual instruction, Dave has bolstered the Cougar lineup from top to bottom, while developing some of the elite talents in Division II.
Rory Morgan, CCU’s shooting guard extraordinaire, earned a spot on the RMAC All-East Second Team, while Justin Neuhaus and Nate Caulk were voted to the RMAC Honorable Mention Team.
Congratulations to this year’s award winners and to the entire men’s basketball team for their unprecedented success during the 2007-08 campaign!
Cougars Draw Familiar Foe in Round One of Postseason
February 24, 2008—Different season-same results. For the third time in four years, the CCU men’s basketball team is set to square off against the Metro State Roadrunners in the first round of the RMAC playoffs.
This time however, Metro must make the trip to the noisy confines of the Cougar Event Center, where CCU handily defeated the Roadrunners 91-76 on January 15.
Despite a three game losing skid heading into tournament time, the Cougars wrapped up an RMAC east division co-championship and with it the conference third seed behind Fort Lewis and the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Metro, the RMAC’s sixth seed, is heating up at just the right time, riding a conference-high six game winning streak into the playoffs. The Runners are fresh off a narrow 80-77 win over the Cougars this past Tuesday at the Auraria Event Center, and have ousted CCU in each of their postseason meetings since joining the RMAC.
Two programs with plenty of familiarity, the Roadrunners are coached by former CCU skipper, Brannon Hays. Hays delivered CCU’s first ever RMAC playoff berth in 2003-04, but was never able to match what current coach Dave Daniels has done with this season’s lineup.
In only his third year at the helm, Coach Daniels led the Cougars to a 9-1 start in conference, CCU’s best start since joining the RMAC. By seasons end, the men compiled a 13-6 conference tally, and CCU’s first ever RMAC east division championship.
A Cougar win would be the first postseason victory for CCU since the 1994 season when the men earned a Colorado Athletic Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA regional tournament.
The table is set and the stakes are high for the Cougars, as they can finally pay back the Roadrunners for some playoff disappointments of the past, and make history in the process by advancing to the RMAC Shootout in Pueblo, Colorado.
Playoff time has finally arrived and this is one contest you definitely won’t want to miss! Pack the CCU Event Center on Friday February 29 at 6:00 p.m. and be a part of Cougar basketball history!
Cougars Earn First Ever RMAC East Division Championship
February 25, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball is heading into tournament time on a high note, having wrapped up their first ever RMAC East Division Championship.
The Cougars posted a 13-6 record in conference play, their best since joining the RMAC, led by the potent post play of 6’7” all-American forward Brian Stamer.
Stamer finished the regular season averaging 20.5 points and nine rebounds per game, while shooting an effective 61% from the floor.
Brian ranks third in the RMAC in four statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocked shots. Stamer also earned a CCU-high five RMAC Player of the Week honors as a senior.
The Cougars now gear up for cross-town rival Metro State, in round one of the RMAC Shootout this Friday at 6:00 p.m. right here in the Cougar Event Center.
Diggers Conquer Cougars 77-74 in Season Finale
February 23, 2008—The Colorado Mines Orediggers extended CCU’s losing streak to three games, holding off a late Cougar rally and pulling out a 77-74 victory (box score) in the season finale for both teams Saturday night at the Cougar Event Center.
Brian Stamer once again led the way for CCU, unleashing for a game-high 35 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Once again, the Cougars got behind early, as Mines took a 41-36 lead into the break, and eventually extended the advantage to as many as 10 points midway through the second stanza.
CCU came storming back to pull within three points on a Rory Morgan four point play with only 51 seconds remaining.
On the next possession, Chad Friehauf followed up a Casey O’ Hayre missed layup attempt to put Mines ahead 75-70 with 31 seconds left.
Stamer would not be denied however, and answered with a tough contested jumper to cut the margin back to three with 14 ticks showing.
The notorious Cougar press forced a Levi Hamilton turnover at the 10 second mark, and the hosts were once again in business.
Following an O’ Hayre foul, Jordan Long drained a pair of pressure free throws to cut the margin to just one point (74-75) with only eight seconds left.
CSM’s Kyle Pape then went 1-2 at the freebie stitch on the following possession, and the stage was set for some Cougar magic.
With no timeouts remaining, the Cougars were pressing the ball up-court to fire the final shot, when Drew Hoffman plowed through a Brendan Puckett screen to send the 6’4” junior guard to the charity stripe with two ticks to go.
That would be all the magic CCU could muster however, as Puckett’s first attempt rimmed out.
Friehauf secured Puckett’s intentional miss on the second attempt and the Orediggers rolled to their 15th victory of the season.
Pape led the Diggers with 23 points on 7-13 shooting, while Friehauf logged 22 points and five boards.
Morgan finished with 13 points for CCU, and Justin Neuhaus chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.
With the loss, CCU (16-11, 13-6 RMAC) gives up a chance at an outright RMAC east division championship, and will now likely share the honors with the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney.
The Cougars are back in action next Friday when they host the first round of the RMAC playoffs at 6:00 p.m.
Metro Avoids Season Sweep, Escapes Cougars on Second Half Free Throws
February 19, 2008—The Metro State Roadrunners fired 16 free throws in the final seven minutes of the game to escape with an 80-77 victory (box score) over the Cougars Tuesday evening at the Auraria Event Center.
The Cougars held the lead for almost the entire game, increasing the margin to eight points off of a Rory Morgan trey with only 5:22 remaining.
Down the stretch however, CCU had trouble trading jumpers for free-throws, as Metro made their way to the line on six of the next 11 possessions.
Cashing in on each of their freebies, the Runners whittled into the CCU advantage, and eventually claimed their first lead since early in the first half, when Daniel Bass converted a lay-in with only 49 ticks remaining to put Metro ahead 76-74.
CCU was whistled for another foul after a Justin Neuhaus turnover with 35 seconds showing, and Metro was back to the charity stripe once again.
Trailing by three with only eight seconds left, the Cougars were unable to get a shot off, as the whistle blew this time against Metro, sending Jordan Long to the free throw line with only one second left.
Long’s intentional miss was secured by Lawrence Billings, and the Roadrunners successfully dodged CCU’s bid at a season sweep.
Brian Stamer logged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Justin Neuhaus chipped in 16 points and four blocks in the Cougar loss.
Despite the setback, CCU can still clinch an RMAC East-Division championship with a win this Saturday, when they host Colorado Mines Orediggers at 7:00 p.m.
Stamer Earns Fifth RMAC Player of the Week Award
February 18, 2008—Brian Stamer had another monster weekend for the Cougars, posting back-to-back double-doubles and earning his second straight and fifth overall RMAC Player of the Week Award for 2007-08.
In a 76-62 home win over Chadron, Stamer fell just one block shy of his first ever triple double, as the 6’7” all-American poured in 19 points, 12 rebounds and an incredible nine blocked shots.
The following night, Stamer almost single handedly willed the Cougars to a win over the University of Nebraska-Kearney, when he exploded for 26 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two more blocked shots in a 68-75 home loss.
On the weekend, Brian shot 53%, while averaging 22.5 points, 12 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game.
The Cougars can lock up their first ever RMAC East Division championship with a win over Metro State this Tuesday evening at the Auraria Event Center.
Cold Shooting Cougars Fall 75-68 to Nebraska-Kearney
February 16, 2008—The hot-shooting offense finally cooled down for the CCU men’s basketball team, as the Cougars were only able to muster 42% from the field and 25% from deep in a 75-68 loss (box score) to the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in Lakewood, Colorado.
Brian Stamer almost willed the men to victory on his own, as the all-world senior forward seemed to score at will, racking up 26 points on 11-20 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
The Cougars trailed 36-35 at the break, and were unable to get over the hump in the second half due to cold shooting and some timely Loper jumpers.
With less than 20 seconds remaining, a Rory Morgan trey put the men within three points, but that would be as close as the hosts would get, as UNK knocked down some important free throws down the stretch to escape with the seven point decision.
Five players scored in double digits for the Lopers, led by Jeremy Cruise who finished with 19 points on 7-10 shooting.
Morgan tacked on 19 points for CCU, shooting 6-12 on the night while coming away with three rebounds and three assists.
The loss drops CCU to 16-9 overall and 13-4 in conference action. Kearney improves to 13-12 and 11-6 in the RMAC.
The Cougars are right back at it on Tuesday evening when they travel to the Auraria Events Center to face the Metro State Roadrunners at 7:00 p.m.
Stamer Hammers Chadron, Cougars Cruise 76-62
February 15, 2008—Brian Stamer fell one block short of a triple-double Friday night, as the 6-7 all-American posted 19 points, 12 rebounds and nine rejections to lead the Cougars to a 76-62 victory (box score) over the Chadron State Eagles in Lakewood, Colorado.
Chadron got hot from beyond the arc in the early going, as eight of the Eagles nine made first half field goals were from the land of plenty.
On the other end, CCU went into the half shooting an uncharacteristic 0-2 from deep, yet the men were still able to salvage a 30-30 tie heading into the final 20 minutes.
The offense that the Cougar faithful had been waiting for finally came around after the break. Rory Morgan canned CCU’s third triple of the second stanza with 13:01 showing, giving the Cougars some much needed momentum and a comfortable10 point (49-39) advantage.
CCU just kept rolling after that, ignited by Stamer’s block party on the defensive end; the men increased the margin to as many as 17 points down the stretch and eventually settled for the 15 point win.
Blake Robinson led the way for Chadron, posting 13 points on 4-6 shooting, while Stacy McAlister added 12 points and four rebounds in the loss.
Morgan logged 20 points while shooting an efficient 4-7 from beyond the arc for CCU.
Justin Neuhaus anchored the paint for the Cougars, tacking on 15 points, five rebounds and two assists in the win.
The Cougars now move to 16-8 overall and 13-3 in the RMAC. Chadron falls to 7-17 and 6-10 in conference.
CCU is back in action tomorrow evening when they host the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 7:00 p.m.
Stamer Earns Fourth RMAC Player of the Week Nod
February 11, 2008—Brian Stamer, of the CCU men’s basketball team has been named RMAC Player of the Week for the fourth time this season.
Stamer helped the RMAC east division’s first place Cougars to three straight wins this past week against Johnson and Wales, UCCS and Regis University.
Against the Johnson and Wales Wildcats, Stamer grabbed his eighth double-double of the year, with 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Cougars cruised to a 95-72 victory.
Three days later, Stamer chipped in 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in an 85-64 win over UCCS.
Saving his best for last, Brian unleashed for 29 points and nine rebounds, while cashing in on 70% of his shot attempts in a 69-60 road win over the Regis Rangers.
Over the weekend, the 6’7” all-American forward averaged 23 points, nine rebounds and 2.7 assists while completing 69% of his shot attempts.
Cougars Win Fourth Straight with 69-60 Victory at Regis
February 9, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team made it four wins in a row, and remained in the driver’s seat for first place in the RMAC East Division, with a 69-60 victory (box score) over the Regis Rangers Saturday night in Denver, Colorado.
Brian Stamer once again set the pace for the Cougars, unleashing for 29 points and nine rebounds while shooting 12-17 from the floor.
The Cougars set the tone early, pulling ahead by seven points early on, and then extending the cushion to 17 points on a Stamer dunk with just under a minute to play in the first half.
Regis tried to make a game of it in the second half, cutting the CCU lead to single digits by the 18 minute mark. The Cougars just would not be denied however, and held the Rangers at bay with some timely jumpers and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to sail to the nine point decision.
Rory Morgan was the only other Cougar to finish in double-digits, as the 6’4” senior tacked on 15 points on 4-9 shooting.
CCU shot 52% for the game inside the arc, and found a way to get it done without the help of the deep ball, as the men suffered through a 4-16 effort from the land of triples.
Brendan Puckett failed to connect on a jumper for the evening, but found other ways to contribute, muscling his way for seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The Cougars out rebounded the Rangers 37-23 and held the hosts to a cool 37% shooting night.
With another win in their pocket, CCU improves to 15-8 overall and 12-3 in conference. Regis drops to 13-10 on the year and 8-7 in the RMAC.
CCU is back in action next Friday when they host the Eagles of Chadron State. Game time is slated for 8:00 p.m.
Cougars Avenge Home Loss with 85-64 Win over UCCS
February 8, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team avenged their only home loss of the year Friday evening, sailing to an easy 85-64 (box score) road win over the UCCS Mountain Lions in Colorado Springs.
On January 26, UCCS shocked the Cougars with a 74-81 win at the Cougar Event Center. The win was the Mountain Lions’ first victory in 10 games.
This time however, the Cougars came out on fire, scoring the game’s first six points, and pulling ahead 19-7 by the 10 minute mark.
Continuing to pile on, the Cougars took a comfortable 46-21 lead into halftime, and were never seriously threatened in the second stanza.
Every Cougar scored in the win, led by Mr. Automatic, Rory Morgan, who tallied a game-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds.
Brian Stamer finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots.
Peter Bailey tacked on nine points and a team-high nine rebounds in the win.
The Cougar treys were not falling at the usual rate, as the men were only able to connect on 9-26 from beyond the arc.
However, despite the slightly cooler deep ball, CCU still shot 49% from the floor and out rebounded the Mountain Lions 46-33.
With little time to enjoy the victory, the men are right back in action tomorrow evening at Regis University. The Cougars take the floor in the early game at 5:00 p.m.
Stamer, Cougars Cook Wales 95-72
February 5, 2008—Brian Stamer pulled off his eighth double-double of the year with 23 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Cougars to a decisive 95-72 victory (box score) over the Johnson and Wales Wildcats Tuesday evening at CCU.
Stamer did his damage in the first half, racking up 19 points and inhaling eight boards in the first 20 minutes. Despite the outlandish numbers, the men had a difficult time pulling away from the Wildcats, who trailed the Cougars 43-35 after attempting 15 free throws to CCU’s five.
It was a different story after the break, when Rory Morgan and Rye Olson joined the offensive assault. With the Wildcats still hanging around, the dynamic duo got hot to the tune of 9-11 makes from beyond the arc, extending the margin to as many as 24 points.
As a team, the Cougars sank 11-18 second half three-bombs, including 16-30 on the game at a whopping 53% shooting clip.
Morgan finished with 20 points, four assists and four rebounds, while connecting on 7-10 of his field goal attempts.
Olson rounded out the double-digit scoring leaders with 14 points, including four assists and a perfect 4-4 effort from the land of plenty.
The Cougars owned a 37-23 advantage on the glass, and dished out a combined 20 assists on 34 made field goals.
With the win, the Cougars improve to 13-8 (10-3 RMAC) and are back in action this Friday when they travel to Colorado Springs for a rematch with the UCCS Mountain Lions at 8:00 p.m.
Cougars Back in Win Column with 73-66 Victory over Chadron
February 2, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team got back on the winning track with a 73-66 victory (box score) over the Chadron State Eagles Saturday evening in Chadron, Nebraska.
Brian Stamer was back to his old tricks, scoring a game-high 30 points, to go with 13 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal, while shooting 10-18 from the floor and a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line.
The Cougars came out of the gates on fire, jumping out to a convincing 21-6 lead capped by a Rory Morgan three ball at the 10 minute mark.
However, just when it looked like the men were beginning to run away with it, the turnover bug that has been plaguing the Cougars for the past four games reared its head once again.
Over the next eight minutes, CCU coughed up eight turnovers which led to a 17-0 Chadron run that put the Cougars on the wrong end of a 23-21 point total.
Peter Bailey broke the scoreless streak with a jumper with 2:03 to go in the half, and the men were eventually able to salvage a three point advantage heading into the break thanks to a Stamer triple with one second on the clock.
Five lead changes kept things interesting after intermission, before the Cougars ultimately pulled ahead once and for all with nine minutes to play.
CCU ran the lead back up to as many 11 points down the stretch and eventually settled for the seven point win.
Morgan finished the contest with six rebounds and 16 points on a 4-8 effort from deep.
Brendan Puckett was the third Cougar in double digits, as the junior guard logged 11 points, three boards and an assist.
The Cougars owned a 31-27 advantage on the glass, and drained 100% (13-13) of their free throw attempts.
With one of the toughest road trips of the year in the books, the men return home to face Johnson and Wales University in a non-conference bout this Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
Lopers Outlast Cold Shooting Cougars
January 31, 2008—The Nebraska-Kearney Lopers held the CCU men’s basketball team to a 1-11 night from beyond the arc and pulled off a hard-fought 71-67 victory (box score) over the Cougars Thursday night in Kearney, Nebraska.
UNK led the way for the lion’s share of the first half, and took a narrow four point advantage into intermission.
The Cougars came charging back after halftime, and pulled ahead by two points on a Brian Stamer jumper with 13:31 remaining.
From that point on it was a slugfest, as each team traded multiple lead changes down the stretch.
With only 2:40 remaining, Justin Neuhaus converted a three-point play for CCU, giving the Cougars a narrow 65-63 advantage and silencing the rowdy Loper faithful.
The lead was short lived, however, as the Cougars squandered a defensive stop by committing one of their 20 turnovers on the evening the next time down the floor. The Lopers took full advantage, cashing in on a three-point play of their own to pull ahead by one point with 1:50 showing.
The scenario played itself out again on the following possession, as a CCU turnover with 1:32 left, translated into two more Kearney points.
Trailing by three with only 46 ticks on the clock, the Cougars failed to convert a shot attempt and were forced into a must foul situation with time winding down.
Neuhaus had a monster night for the Cougars, grabbing a double-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds, 
and six – that’s right – six blocks.
Stamer logged 26 points and six rebounds in only 28 minutes of action.
Jordan Long was the only Cougar to down a triple on the evening, as the normally red-hot CCU long-balls fell on hard times.
The Cougars try to get back in the win column this Saturday when they travel to Chadron State for an 8:00 p.m. showdown.
UCCS Shocks Turnover Plagued Cougars 84-71
January 26, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team committed 22 turnovers, shot a chilly 61% from the free throw line and held the lead for only 23 seconds in an 84-71 loss (box score) to a hot-shooting UC-Colorado Springs team Saturday evening at Colorado Christian.
The Mountain Lions canned 7-14 first half three balls and took a 38-29 lead into intermission.
UCCS extended the lead to 12 early in the second stanza but the Cougars kept fighting and eventually cut the margin to only two points with 11 minutes remaining.
Despite capturing the momentum and stirring the packed house into a frenzy, CCU could not get over the hump, as the Mountain Lions answered with a Jordan McClung three and eventually ran the lead back up to 15 with only two minutes to play.
The Cougars made it interesting in the final seconds, when Peter Bailey downed a trey to cut the deficit to five points with only 15 seconds left, but time was not on the side of the home team, as UCCS tacked on a pair of free throws with only four seconds left to put the Cougar rally on ice.
UCCS shot 47% from deep on the game, led by Abram Ziemer who went 3-4 from the land of triples to finish with 12 points.
Nic Fuller and Kyle Perkins each tacked on 18 points in the Mountain Lion win.
Brian Stamer poured in 21 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks, while Rory Morgan tacked on 18 points and four assists.
UCCS now improves to 3-8 in the RMAC and 7-12 overall. The Cougars fall to 11-7 and 9-2 in conference.
CCU now has their hands full with a tough road trip to Nebraska-Kearney looming this Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
Cougars Outlast Regis in Slugfest, Move to 9-1 in RMAC
January 25, 2008—The CCU men’s basketball team proved that they can win the ugly ones too, coming from behind to pull out a gritty 78-68 victory (box score) over the Regis Rangers Friday evening at the sold-out Cougar Event Center.
The Cougars finished the contest with five players in double figures, led by Jordan Long who tallied 16 clutch points, while dealing out seven assists in the win.
Regis did their best to make things difficult on the home team, leading by 10 points on multiple occasions in a rugged, foul-ridden first half, before settling for a four point advantage at recess.
Coming out of the break, CCU took a narrow one point lead on a Brian Stamer triple at the 18 minute mark, but the Rangers quickly answered with a trey of their own on the ensuing possession to edge back ahead 42-40.
The Cougars kept things close, but just when it seemed like they were poised to make a run, Regis would squelch the momentum with a timely jumper.
A Stamer free throw tied the contest up at 71 each with only 1:59 left in regulation, and following a Cougar defensive stop, Justin Neuhaus stepped to the line to knock down two more to give CCU a very uncomfortable 73-71 lead.
With the game in the balance and Regis with the ball, Stamer once again proved that he can do a little bit of everything. The 6’7” all-American got his hands on an Alex Potts pass with under a minute to go, giving the Cougars a possession that would put the game out of reach.
Coming back on the other end, Jordan Long ran the clock down to 50 seconds, before driving hard to the basket to pick up a foul and head to the freebie stitch.
The 81% career free throw shooter did not disappoint. Long drained both attempts to put the Cougars ahead 75-71.
Following a missed Adam Vaden three-ball with 32 ticks left, the Rangers were forced to foul the rest of the way.
Stamer led all scorers with 22 points on 6-8 shooting, and Justin Neuhaus tacked on 14 points, six boards and a pair of emphatic dunks.
Rory Morgan finished with 12 points for CCU, while Peter Bailey notched 11 points and eight strong rebounds.
James Bullock led the way for Regis, scoring 20 points and shooting a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe.
With the win, CCU improves to 11-6 overall and a stellar 9-1 in the RMAC. Regis falls to 11-7 and 6-4 in conference.
The Cougars will be right back on the floor tomorrow evening when they host the UCCS Mountain Lions at 7:00 p.m.
Rory Morgan
Men’s Basketball
Why CCU?
I chose to attend CCU after a long series of events had occurred in my life. Ultimately, God made it very clear to me that this was where I was supposed to be.
