BASKETBALL: Chaps overcome Ranger challenge to improve to 7-0

With the win, the Chaps improved to 7-0 on the season and entered the NJCAA Division I men's poll on Monday at No. 14. 

The game had the energy and intensity that the Chaps are going to see during Western Junior College Athletic Conference play as every possession seemed like it could mean the difference between a win or a loss.

Ultimately the Chaps pulled away, thanks in part to five straight points from Doug Young, who equaled Trent Johnson for a team-high 15 on the night.

MC's first-year head coach Tra Arnold said even though his team didn't play its best, it was good to still come out with a win.

"We could have faltered in that game," Arnold said. "We couldn't make a shot tonight, we turned the ball over. I told them, 'Hey, at the end of the day, you found a way to win.' That's what the changing the whole culture of a program is going to take. You look around, I guarantee you that people thought we were going to lose. But we knew that we were going to win and we had that mindset, even if it had to be ugly, even if we had to punt the ball in the stands and play defense."

Added Johnson, a sophomore forward who also had a team-high nine rebounds, "We started off hot and we had some challenges, but at the end of the day, we had guys step up and got it done. We came in as prepared and in a hard-fought battle, we knew the toughest team was going to win and we knew we were going to be the toughest team."

Saturday's game ended a stretch in which the Chaps played five games the last eight days and four in the last six. And against Ranger (3-2), all five starters played at least 29 minutes. But even with that in mind, Arnold said that didn't have anything to do with how they played on Saturday.

"You can blame it on tired legs and all those things, but at the end of the day it's about what's inside of you," he said. "It's competition. What are going to do when you miss shots? Are you going to go to the other end and do what you're supposed to do on the other end defensively? You have to help your team win in some sort of way."

Johnson was one of the Chaps who came up with some key plays, especially early in the second half when Ranger had taken some momentum.

"There were a couple of guys who hit some big shots and we had some big plays, and it got the momentum to swing back in our favor," Johnson said. "(Christian Villegas) knocked down a couple, Doug knocked down a couple and Keonte (Jones) was locking up on defense the whole time. It was good energy overall to come back get that 'W'."

Villegas finished with 13 points and Jones added 12 for the Chaps.

MC looks to stay unbeaten when it hosts University of the Southwest at 6 p.m. Wednesday.