CASPER, Wyo. – Following a hard-fought road victory in Rock Springs, the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Men's Basketball team took on the highly ranked Casper Thunderbirds on March 1. Casper, a perennial powerhouse, has hovered near the NJCAA Top 25 all season and features the nation's second-leading scorer.
The Lancers came out firing, moving the ball effectively and building an early 17-10 lead eight minutes into the game. Their stifling defense held the Thunderbirds to just 23 points with 4:26 left in the first half. Casper responded with a 5-0 run, but Lathario Miller's mid-range jumper kept EWC ahead 31-28. The Thunderbirds closed the half strong, outscoring the Lancers 8-3 and taking a narrow 36-34 lead into the break.
Casper opened the second half with momentum, extending their advantage to 47-36 with 16:15 remaining. Lancers' Jaironn Speights halted the run with a layup off a well-placed pass from Vukasin Spasojevic. The Lancers continued to battle, closing the gap to 51-46 after a clutch three-pointer from Nathan Mirich, assisted by Spasojevic. With 9:15 to play, Speights attacked the lane and dished to Jumarion Weh for another three, trimming Casper's lead to 55-51. Moments later, Weh came up with a steal and was intentionally fouled, converting one of two free throws.
The Lancers kept pushing, and with 6:07 remaining, Speights drilled a corner three to bring EWC within one. However, Casper responded at the free-throw line down the stretch, ultimately sealing a 73-65 victory.
"We played well—12-of-32 from beyond the arc, 16 assists, and just 12 turnovers. We forced Casper into 16 turnovers, including eight from their point guard," EWC Head Coach Bill Engel said. "Unfortunately, it has been a season of moral victories—close but not quite. We're making progress, playing tough every night. It's about trusting the process and knowing it's going to pay off."
For more information, please contact:
Brad Staman – College Relations Director, bstaman@ewc.wy.edu
Bill Engel – Head Men's Basketball Coach, bengel@ewc.wy.edu