The Otero Junior College Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams both ended regular season play on a strong note winning the rights to host first round Region IX play.
The Lady Rattlers (3rd seed) will be hosting the 6th seed Laramie County Community College Golden Eagles on Friday, March 3 at 6 p.m.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be able to host a first-round game,” said OJC Women’s Basketball Head Coach Taylor Shaffer. “After the start we got off to, the idea of hosting a first round game seemed out of reach, but our girls deserve all of the credit. They continued to work hard and battle every day, and it is because of their toughness and grit that we have the opportunity to play one last time at home.”
Shaffer is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming game. “We have been fortunate in the fact that we have been able to beat LCCC twice this year, but they were closely contested games that we had to fight tooth and nail in order to get the win. You never know what is going to happen in the tournament as everyone is fighting to keep their season alive. That is what makes March so great. We have the best fans in Region IX, and we hope to see you out in full force come Friday night,” added Shaffer.
The Rattler Men’s Basketball team will also host a first round Region IX Men’s Basketball Tournament game Sat., March 4 at 7 p.m. against North Platte.
“We are excited to host a 1st Round Region IX Tournament game for the 2nd year in a row. Prior to last season, our program had never hosted a tournament game of any kind, so it’s a great accomplishment in the rich tradition of Otero Basketball,” said Otero Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brendan O’Connor. “I’m proud of the way our team has worked to get better throughout the season. We have a lot of young guys that have come along quite nicely over the last few months, in large part due to the great leadership of our four sophomores.”
The Ratters expect tough competition for Saturday’s game. “North Platte is a very good basketball team with a legendary Coach in Kevin O’Connor. We will need to play well in all facets of the game to get a win on Saturday night. It should be a great battle.”
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