The whole game was a close one, with either team leading by no more than single digits. However, most of the intense action happened in the second half. Chadron started the second half trailing by only six points, but kept up the intensity all the way until the end, when Zac Bargen, junior guard of Chadron, made the last four, clutch points.

With about four minutes left, Bargen scored a three-pointer to put the score up to 65-62. Then, Avery Redmond, of CCU, now 13-9 overall, responded with a three pointer to tie the score. Redmond led the Cougars with 21 points, three assists and one steal. With two minutes left, Kendrick Holliman, sophomore forward of Spanish Fort, Ala.,  swished two free throws, and Bargen made the last two points off of free throws . Chadron had a great free throw percentage of 89 for the night.

Front Zac Bargen (5), attempts to dodge his opponent during Friday’s game against Colorado Christian. —Photo by Ashley Swanson

Bargen was leading scorer for the Eagles totaling 20 points, but had lots of help. Holliman had 16 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. According to Head Coach Brent Bargen, defense was a key to the victory for Chadron.

“We allowed two offensive rebounds versus CCU which is exceptional,” Head Coach Brent Bargen said. “I think our effort was better, both physically and more important mentally.”

The exciting action continued on Saturday night when the Eagles faced the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers.The student section was full of students dressed in nerd attire, cheering for the Eagles on the court while the band played their songs of support.

“I would like to publically thank the student body, and Dr. Schuler for leading the tremendous CSC band, and Mollie Jones and Kristina Harter for their support for our program. Not many RMAC schools have a band that play at games and ours puts the ones that do to shame!” Bargen said.

Unfortunately, not even the trumpets or drums could spur the Eagles on to a win, when they lost in overtime 75-70.

Action started out in favor of CSM when they pulled ahead 9 to 2 within three minutes of play. However as the first half progressed, Chadron picked up the pace and cut the lead to one at half with a three by Bargen. Bargen led the Eagles once again with a total of 30 points, and also helped out on defense with nine rebounds.

After a drive in and a made layup from Dominique Watkins, freshman point guard of San Diego, Cali., CSM’s lead was at it lowest with two points. Vinich scored the last four points to take the game into overtime. Then in the overtime period, CSM’s Brian Muller, lead scorer with 23 points, made a clutch three pointer with about 50 seconds left to lift the Orediggers to a 75-70 win.

The Eagles travel to Colorado for two more contest against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado State University-Pueblo Friday and Saturday.

Western, now 8-12 for the season, came out ready to play and pulled ahead eight before Chadron made their mark on the score board with a good free throw by sophomore forward of Spanish Fort, Ala., Kendrick Holliman. The Eagles then began to pick up speed and tied the game with a good three-pointer by David Downey, junior guard of Scottsbluff, with 3:10 left to play in the first half. Both teams battled the rest of the half, but Western came out on top 42-37 by halftime.

The second half featured no ties, and the closest the Eagles came to Western was within four points after a three pointer by Grant Stone, junior guard of Canton, Mich. Leading scorer for Chadron was Zac Bargen, junior forward of Chadron, with 20 points and he also had seven rebounds. Holliman was the only other scorer in double digits with 12.

Dallas Shaw (10), sophomore of Buffalo, Wyo., dribbles a ball down the court in a game against CSU-Pueblo Jan 31. -Photo by Ashley Swanson

Looking to get a win before loading up to come home, the Eagles went to face the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks on Saturday. Mesa’s dynamite defense stopped the Eagles from progressing in the second half, and was able to take the 68-37 win.

Mesa, who is now 16-5, was first to get on the score board with a jumper by Jeff Hart, who ended up being leading scorer for the night with 21 points. However, Chadron was quick to answer with a three pointer from Bargen. Bargen led the Eagles once again, this time with only 12 points. Mesa had two other people score in double figures, but Bargen was Chadron’s lone double digit scorer.

When the first half ended, Chadron was only behind by four. When the Mavericks came out after halftime, they had already outscored Chadron 25 to eight with seven and a half minutes to play. Mavericks shot 70 percent in the second half, compared to Chadron’s 18 percent making the difference they needed to get the win.

Chadron State’s women’s team also lost both games for the weekend, but had some bright spots among the darkness. Dallas Shaw, sophomore of Buffalo, Wyo., scored a career high 23 points, 21 of those being from behind the three-point line. Kattie Ranta, junior of Rapid City, S.D., also scored her sixth double-double of the season and also had two steals and two assists.

“After the game we talk about how we need to take the tools we’ve learned during the season and apply them now,” Shaw said. The Eagles will host the final games of the season, starting against Colorado Christian University on Friday and Colorado School of Mines on Saturday. The women’s games start at 6 p.m. and men’s at 8 p.m. in Armstrong. “Earlier in the season we lost to both teams, but both are beatable. I think if we limit turnovers and play good defense we have a good chance of winning,” Shaw said.

Metro stole the show in rebounds, totaling 29 with 13 of those being offensive. Off of those, they were able to score 14 second chance points. Metro has won all of their games, as they are undefeated at 17-0, by double digits except for two. Chadron gave them a run for their money as they played neck-and-neck for the majority of the first half.

Kyle Vinich, sophomore forward of Casper, Wyo., was the first to score for Chadron, with a jumper, assisted by Justyn Anderson, redshirt freshman point guard of Las Vegas, Anderson led in assists with three, and Vinich had 10 points for the game. The leading scorer was Grant Stone, junior guard of Canton, Mich., with 11 points, nine of those being from behind the three-point line.

The Roadrunners only had one player score in double digits, Jonathon Morse, but had the other players score more evenly. Metro did outshoot Chadron beyond field goal range with a 50 percent shooting average, compared to Chadron’s 33 percent.

The Eagles then came out ready to play on Saturday against Regis University, claiming the 72-61 victory. Chadron now advances to 2-17 overall and 2-13 in the RMAC, with both wins being against Regis.

Point guard Dominique Watkins (14), attempts to shoot a basket during Friday’s game against Metro State. Photo by Ashley Swanson

“I thought we were more determined and our focus was better. We are also healthier as a team,” Head Coach Brent Bargen said.

Regis was the first to score, but Chadron caught up soon and tied the score after a pair of free throws from Kendrick Holliman, sophomore forward of Spanish Fort, Ala., and a layup from Vinich. Following that, the game featured seven ties before the Eagles were able to get going on a scoring rant after a three pointer by Stone with 4:28 to play.

With a little more than three minutes to play, the Regis Rangers gave the Eagles a scare when they tied the game off a free throw from Jon Conley, who totaled 14 points for the night. However, Chadron’s very own junior forward, Zac Bargen, responded with a three pointer and lay up to give the Eagles a cushion. Bargen led the team in scoring with 22 points, and also shot some clutch free throws at the end of the game.

“We came together as a team and trusted one another and just did our best,” Anderson said.

Chadron will travel to Colorado for games against Western State Colorado University and Colorado Mesa University Friday and Saturday respectively. Games will start at 7:30 p.m. both nights, and Chadron’s women’s basketball team games start at 5:30 p.m.

Tautua’a played for Chadron for his entire college career and brought many talents to the court for his team. With his charisma and talent, he was a key contributor to the Eagles’ basketball program as a whole. Last season, Tautua’a averaged 13 points per game, and had a field goal shooting percentage of 63.5. He played in every game, and brought more than just points to the court.

“We miss having the inside presence he brought. His passionate leadership was something that helped us tremendously. He gave the game, as well as his teammates, all his love,” redshirt-freshman point guard Justyn Anderson said. Anderson medical redshirted last year, but was still able to see the presence Moala had with the team.

Moala Tautua’a, center for the KL Dragons, shoots the ball in an ABL contest recently. — Photo by Rocky Padilla

Tautua’a was found by the KL Dragons, a team from the Asean Basketball League (ABL). After graduating, Moala put a video out on YouTube, where scouts from the ABL were able to watch it and decide that they needed his talent. After many conversations and exchange of much information, Tautua’a signed with the KL Dragons and prepared his trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Since then, Tautua’a has been living the life he has always dreamed about.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a professional basketball player, but being an undersized post, my dreams of playing in the NBA were a little far fetched. But, internationally, I did think I could sneak my way into there somewhere… I’m glad I did because I love playing basketball, and now I get to do it as my job,” Tautua’a said.

The ABL is made up of six teams, all located in Southeast Asia. Each team plays the other five teams four times, and then the playoffs start. Instead of having a Monday through Friday office schedule, Tautua’a has a game-by-game schedule. At the moment, Tautua’a is sitting out due to a back injury after being undercutted on a dunk and landing on his back. He has been in recovery mode for a few weeks, but is ecstatic to appear in the games this weekend. Not only have Tautua’a’s skills improved, he’s also learned life lessons. When asked about the difference of cultures, Tautua’a admits to being shocked.

“Yes, definite culture shock. I’m used to talking to everyone; here I kind of just get stared at because I am about two feet taller than most people here,” Tautua’a said.

There are also many different religions in Southeast Asia, which constitute that there are a lot of rules. One example is that walking around without a shirt is illegal, which Tautua’a had to find out the hard way. Another area of culture Tautua’a had to deal with was the language barrier. Fortunately, with Tautua’a’s background, he already knew some Philippine language and has been able to touch up on it.

For a bulky post player, diet is very important, especially with the intense workouts basketball players endure. The change in food options was a challenge that Tautua’a had to overcome, and is now a pretty renowned chef, which he prides himself on.

Moala Tautua’a dunks the ball in a 2012 game against Mesa State. — Photo by Kinley Q. Nichols

“I learned how to cook teriyaki chicken, fried chicken, chow mien, and chicken fried rice,” Tautua’a said.

Tautua’a did reveal that the poverty in Southeast Asia is more prevalent than here in America. There is no middle class, or happy medium, “…either everyone is really rich or really poor.” Seeing how fortunate American’s really are is a life lesson that Tuatua’a has really taken to heart.

“I’ve learned that I take a lot for granted living in America. I even appreciate cross walks and stop lights. No one really follows the rules out here, people here could make a two-lane highway four cars wide,” Tautua’a said.

In the words of Evander Holyfield, “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” Moala Tautua’a may be a monster of a basketball player, but it’s his heart and determination that keeps him moving forward in the world of basketball.

“I see myself playing as long as the good Lord allows me to. It’s too much fun to let it pass, and it doesn’t feel like work at all,” Tautua’a said.

The Eagles had a slow start when they were down 14 to zero after four and a half minutes into the first half. Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., made a shot behind the three-point line to put the Eagles on the scoreboard. Shaw ended the game with 13 points, leading scorer for Chadron, and Greer Babbe, junior forward of Papillion, also scored in double digits with 10 points.

The Eagles took more shooting chances than CSU-Pueblo during the game, but only connected on 23 of 68. The ThunderWolves now improve to 12-4 overall, and the Eagles fall to 3-14.

Head Coach Tim Connealy talks to his team in a time out in the game against UCCS on Saturday in Armstrong. — Photo by Jennifer Parker

On Saturday, the Eagles came out hungry for a win against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and scored within the first 40 seconds when Kate Simonton, sophomore guard of Bakersfield, Calif., made a jump shot. Simonton ended the game with nine points, but Kattie Ranta, junior guard of Rapid City, S.D., led the Eagles with 18 points. The Eagles hung on the Mountain Lions heels in the first half when the lead switched 10 times.

Both teams were close in shooting percentage from the field, with Chadron shooting 41 percent and the Mountain Lions 46 percent. However, UCCS outscored the Eagles from the charity stripe 83 percent compared to Chadron’s 56. Most of the Mountain Lions free throw points were in the second half, as well 41 of their shooting percentage.

The Eagles face the Metro State Roadrunners on Friday and the Regis University Rangers on Saturday in RMAC competition. Both are set to start at 6 p.m. in Armstrong.

Highlands scored the first points of the game with a pair of free throws, but CSC quickly gained the lead off of a three-point shot by junior forward of Chadron, Zac Bargen. The Eagles led most of the first half, until the Cowboys tied it up with two and a half minutes left to play on more free throws after a foul by Kendrick Holliman, sophomore forward of Spanish Fort, Ala. Helping out the Cowboys was Augustus French, who scored a triple double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 blocks. He was 100 percent on his free throws, which helped the team after the two overtime.

Two Eagle players ended the night with career-high point numbers. Bargen made 33 points, 18 of those coming from behind the three-point line. Kyle Vinich, sophomore forward of Casper, Wyo., scored a total of 19 points and had two steals. Also scoring in double digits was David Downey, junior guard of Scottsbluff, with a total of 15 points.

The Eagles lost the lead in the final minute of regulation game when Highlands’ Mannie Cass was fouled by Bargen at the three-point line, and he swished all three shots.

In the first overtime, Bargen and Downey were quick to launch some three pointers in the beginning, but the Cowboys fought back and tied it once again 79-79, with another pair of free throws, to lead into the second overtime.

Guard Chris Taylor (15), junior of Amman, Jordan, makes a jumpshot, Jan. 12 against Black Hills State University. — Photos by Jennifer Parker

In the second half, the action was much the same. Chadron came out quick to score, but sent French to the charity stripe once again. After a turnover on the Eagles’, Highlands was able to score a 3 pointer and a layup on the next posession, making the score 88-83, and Bargen responded with his final three pointer of the game. However, they couldn’t come up with anymore points, losing the game 89-86.

“We were disappointed because it was so close but they came together and played as a team which was good,” Head Coach Brent Bargen said. “Seeing how close they were to winning made them see how they can win and made them hungrier for a win.”

Looking for redemption, the Eagles took on Western N.M. on Saturday. For the whole first half, the teams fought and battled and had eight total lead changes. Western N.M. was the first on the board with a layup from Lucio Luttrell, but Chadron quickly responded with a good shot in the paint from Bargen. After a few more consecutive jumpers, CSC led 7-2 two minutes into the game. However, Western responded with a  three pointer by Chad Carter, and the teams battled from there.

Chadron led going into the second half 35-34, but a quick tip in for the Mustangs gave them the lead they needed. The second half only featured one tie as the Mustangs led the rest of the way, as they soared to the 75-65 victory.

Chadron led in field goal shooting percentage by a margin of .7 percent, and the Mustangs outshot the Eagles from behind the three point line by 7.6 percent. Top scorer for the Mustangs was Chad Carter with 24 points and he also had two blocks and three steals. Leading for Chadron once again was Bargen, this time with 20 points and three assists.  Chadron now advances into the week 1-14 overall, 1-10 in the RMAC.

Chadron takes on Colorado State University-Pueblo on Friday and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs on Saturday. Both are scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in Armstrong and both are RMAC games.

For the first half of the game, the score was close with New Mexico Highlands leading for the majority of it, with an exception of one tie. Then in the remaining seconds of the half, Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., hit a three point shot that put the Eagles up by one before halftime. Shaw also led the Eagles with another double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

In the second half, the Eagles contained the lead until two minutes into play, New Mexico Highlands’ Haley Grossman made a bucket in the paint to capture the lead 33-34. Haley had ten points in the game, but leading for the Cowgirls was Alyssa Lopez with 22 points. After two of Lopez’s free throws and with the score tied at 64, Lisa Durden, junior guard of Inglewood, Calif., drew a foul and sank both free throws giving CSC the 66-64 lead. In the final seconds, Alyssa Lopez missed a field goal for the Cowgirls and gave the win to the Eagles.

Previous leading scorer Kattie Ranta, junior guard of Rapid City, S.D., was having trouble making the shots drop, but helped the team out on defense.

“Her shots weren’t dropping that night and all athletes have nights like that. She definitely helped us out and played solid defense and grabbed 12 rebounds,” Connealy said.

The Eagles, now 3-11 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC conference, had two other players score in double digits. Greer Babbe,  junior forward from Papillion, finished with 11 points and five boards and Hattie Guzman, freshman guard of Scottsbluff, had 10 points. Chadron also led in field goal shooting percentage with 36 percent, compared to Highland’s 29 percent.

On Saturday, the Eagles took on Western New Mexico Mustangs. The game started out much the same way as on Friday, with two ties, but after a good trey by the Mustangs’ Larissa Loera, they galloped off to lead the rest of the half with a score of 36-20 at halftime.

In the second half, Chadron trailed by 20 for most of the time but still saw some good highlights.

“I am proud of them, it was probably the best the team has played as we’re a young team and we have gone through some growing pains,” Head Coach Tim Connealy said. “Everything that everyone did helped us get the win.”

Helping the Mustangs to the victory was their 40 percent three point shooting average, compared to CSC’s 25 percent average.  Also, free throws proved to be the deciding factor in the Mustangs’ favor as they made 14 out of 15, while the Eagles only made 9 of 13. Kattie Ranta’s hot hand returned and she led the Eagles with 12 points, but was the only Eagle to score in double figures.

The Eagles will host Colorado State University- Pueblo on Friday and Univeristy of Colorado-Colorado Springs on Saturday. Both games are RMAC games and are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in Armstrong. CSU-Pueblo is currently ranked number three in the RMAC and UC-Colorado Springs is number four.

Guard Hattie Guzman (4), redshirt freshman of Scottsbluff, looks to make a pass, Nov. 15 against Colorado Mesa Univeristy. — File photo by Ashley Swanson

To start out the night, the women’s teams battled it out on the court. Chadron came out hot when Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., hit a three pointer 20 seconds into the game. Chadron then kept the lead until a good jump shot by Black Hill’s Bailey Kusser made the score 17-14 with 7:44 left to play.  Both teams were neck-and-neck the rest of the game, but Chelsey Biegler’s 28 points for BHS pulled them ahead for the 72-65 win.

Guard Dallas Shaw (10), sophomore of Buffalo, Wyo., manuevers the ball away from the opposing team, Jan. 12 against Blackhills State University.

Kattie Ranta, junior guard of Rapid City, S.D., led for Chadron with 19 points but had help from Shaw with 14 points and Kate Simonton, sophomore guard of Bakersfield, Calif., with 13. Shaw also led the team in rebounds with 10.

“For the most part we have a young and inexperienced team, the more situations we’re able to put ourselves in, like Saturday, the more growth and maturity you’ll see develop,” Head Coach Tim Connealy said.

Later that night in the men’s game, action started out the same as the women’s when David Downey, junior guard of Scottsbluff, hit a three pointer, one of the four that he would make later on. However, the Yellowjackets converted on a pair of turnovers with eight minutes to play, and ended the half 31-30.

Coming out in the second half, Black Hills went on a 17-5 scoring drive in the first six minutes of play. A huge factor for Black Hills was their 14 offensive rebounds and 22 second chance points that led them to the 77-61 win.

“We have to work on finishing more easy shots in the lane, and cut down on turnovers, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot with those,” Head Coach Brent Bargen said.

Both teams travel to play New Mexico Highlands at Las Vegas, N.M., on Friday and Western New Mexico at Silver City, N.M. on Saturday.

Forward Zac Bargen (5), junior of Chadron, drives the ball toward the basket, Jan. 12 against Blackhills State University in Armstrong’s gym. — Photos by Jennifer Parker

Grant Stone, junior guard of Canton, Mich., drives in for a layup shot against Rodrigo Salva, in the game against Adams State on Saturday in Armstrong.
Photo by Daniel Binkard

Fort Lewis, now 9-1, scored the first points of the game off a jumper by Alex Herrera, and kept the lead for the rest of the game.  Herrera was one of four players who made double-digit points in Friday’s game. Fort Lewis had a 55.4 shooting percentage, while Chadron only shot 36.5 percent from field goal range.

Leading for CSC was Zac Bargen, junior forward of Chadron, with 23 points. He also had 10 rebounds, most being in the first half. The second half started out slow for the Eagles, after multiple missed shots and three minutes had gone by, and the first points were put up by junior guard of Scottsbluff, David Downey’s free throw.

Looking to redeem themselves against Adams State, the Eagles came out hungry for a win. They played neck-and-neck with the Grizzlies until a three pointer by Shaheed Young gave Adams State a 12 point lead before halftime.

Chadron did improve their free throw shooting percentage from the night before with an average of 82.9 percent, giving them an edge. However, Adams State’s 44.4 three point shooting percentage helped them capture the win. Grant Stone, junior of Canton, Mich., led the Eagles with 18 points. Three other CSC athletes scored in double digits as well. Adams State is now 9-1 overall.

Chadron hosts Black Hills State on Saturday. Black Hills is currently 3-12 for the season. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in Armstrong.

The game started off with a couple turnovers for Chadron, before anyone could make a basket. A minute into the game, Hattie Guzman, redshirt freshman guard of Scottsbluff, was able to put points on the board with a jump shot. Guzman only ended up with three points for the game, but had four assists as well. Another key scorer for the Eagles was Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., who led in points with 11.

The Mesa Mavericks, now 5-0, shot 62.5 percent from the field and made 20 of 32 field goals in the second half. Top scorer was Kelsey Sigl, who made 17 points and was followed by teammate Bruna Diechmann, who scored 15 points off the bench. Mesa outscored Chadron in points from the bench with 51 compared to just eight for the Eagles.

A big factor to Chadron’s scoring difficulties was Colorado’s Mesa’s constricting defense. The Mavericks held Chadron to only 11 points in the first half. Overall, Chadron had a 25 shooting percentage for the game. The Mavericks doubled that and shot a 50 percent to claim the 87-43 victory. They also caused 26 turnovers, and were able to score 25 points off of those turnovers.

“Mesa State is a veteran club and we did not handle their defensive pressure very well in the first half,” Head Coach Tim Connealy.

Mesa also had a 35.3 shooting percentage from three-point range, compared to Chadron’s 26.7 percent. Both Chadron and Mesa were close in free throws, with Chadron making 13 of 17 and Mesa making 15 of 20.

Forward Josh Hatcher, senior of Oakland, Calif., runs the ball down the court during the Nov. 12 game against Nebraska-Kearney. — Photo by Jennifer Parker

Looking to redeem themselves at home, the women athletes were in the right mindset on Saturday when they went up against Western State.

Chadron was the first to get points on the board with a jumper from Kattie Ranta, junior guard of Rapid City, S.D. Ranta led the Eagles in points with 19 in 21 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble. After the score being tied four times in the first half, Chadron was able to pull ahead making the score 39-33 at half. The Eagles scored the same amount of points in the second half to win the game 78-70.

Another top scorer for Chadron was Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., who scored 15 points and had three assists.

“We did a good job against Mesa, but we need to keep picking ourselves up after losses and keep focusing on the right things that we learn in practice,” Shaw said.

The Eagles field goal attempt percentage doubled from the night before when they averaged a 51 percent. They were also 46.7 percent from three point range. Their defense also improved as Sadie Waugh, senior forward of Paxton, grabbed eight and Ranta helped out with six.

For Western, Desiree Smith led the Mountaineers with 22 points, and three other players scored in double digits. Chadron also had four players in double digits, but they had more players score off the bench. Chadron tallied 22 bench points, while Mesa made a measly two.

“This win will help us keep in mind that we can keep up with RMAC teams and any team can be beaten any day,” Shaw said.

This weekend, the Eagles travel to Colorado to take on Colorado Mines on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday. Both games start at 5 p.m.

“We will learn from this win like we do every game and hopefully improve in areas that we need to,” Connealy said.