The Cowboys had another nail-biter with NEO, but this time for a Region 2 Championship on the line. The two teams split games during the regular season with the Norse winning at home on a last second 3-point shot and the Cowboys winning an overtime battle in Warner. Saturday Connors led the entire game but still had to hang on at the end for a 73-71 victory.
The Cowboys (31-2) started off strong, building a 14-point lead in the first half before NEO stormed back to trail by just three 34-31 at intermission. Connors stretched the lead back to 10 with 12 minutes to play but got in foul trouble as center Buddy Hammer collected his fourth foul halfway through the second half before ultimately fouling out with five minutes to play, and Player of the Year Bradyn Hubbard, played with three fouls the whole second half. NEO again battled back to within two. Connors led 71-68 when Hubbard was fouled with seven seconds to play and hit two free throws. That allowed the Cowboys to withstand a last second 3-pointer by NEO’s Tobias Roland to claim the title.
“We knew they would make runs at us and knew they were going to trap but we make big plays down the stretch when we needed to,” said Muse. “This team just has a lot of resilience. We’ve been knocked down by injuries losing Ty (Frierson) to a knee injury and had other guys got hurt during the season but they’ve just kept on rolling. Thirtyone wins is really unbelievable.”
Hubbard led the Cowboys with 23 points while Khamani Cooper had 14, Tony Green added 12 and Hammer contributed 11 points in the game.
The Cowboys, who last went to the national tournament in 2022, will again travel to Hutchinson, Kansas for the tournament starting March 24.
Hubbard and Mae were named to the men’s All-Tournament team.
For the first time since 2009, the Connors State Cowboys and Cowgirls are both going to the Big Dance in the same year as both were successful in capturing titles in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region II championships Saturday at Muskogee’s Rougher Village. For Cowgirls coach Jamie Fisher it is his first regional championship in his eight seasons at Connors. For Hall of Fame men’s coach Bill Muse, it will mark his 12th trip to the national tournament in his 32 years as the Cowboys boss.
