Neosho County Community College Athletics

Jason Peake - Tribune Sports Editor

Gomilla named Jayhawk East Player of the Year

In the year before Jeremy Coombs came to Chanute, the Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team won just five games.

It’s safe to say that Coombs has energized the program in a hurry.

Need proof? The Panthers have won 30 games in the last two seasons under Coombs.

The season ended for the NCCC men last Wednesday night with an 87-68 loss to Hutchinson in a first round game of the Region VI playoffs.

Coombs said he feels his team made a lot of progress this season.

“I thought we turned the corner this year,” Coombs said. “But I think this team had its ups and downs and I take full responsibility for that. Even though we had a winning season, we underachieved. This team should have won 20-plus games and that’s on me. I believe some of the ups and downs were due to our youth. Most of the season I found myself starting four freshmen. Our youth showed at times. But we’ll build from this and keep going.”

Key to the turnaround the last two seasons was the play of sophomores Mark Gomilla, Delray Mills and Adrian Sims.

“Those are the guys that really got us going,” Coombs said. “Before we got here, they’d only won 10 games in two years. Those are the guys that helped get this thing back on track. And it’s getting better each year.”

Speaking of Gomilla, the 6-5 forward from Atlanta had a season to remember.

Gomilla scored 604 points this season, good for a 20.1 per game average. He also pulled down 297 rebounds this season, 10 a game.

Gomilla was just named the Jayhawk East Player of the Year and first team all-conference. He ended his career at NCCC as the sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,087 points.

Mills scored seven points a game and had seven rebounds a game.

He also provided an inside presence for the team. Sims led the team in three-pointers made with 57. The Wichita product scored nine points a game.

While the sophomores are moving on, the Panthers will return a solid group next season. Freshman guard Allen Jones scored 311 points (10.4 ppg) and handed out 83 assists this season. Jones was named second team-all conference. Freshman Kris Wilson had 109 assists this year. Antione Lundy, a 6-9 post player who can step out and shoot the three, had 11 rebounds a game and scored 11 points a game. Lundy was named honorable mention all-conference. Also, Antonio Banks (6.6 ppg), Justin Fairman (8.7 ppg), D’Andre Tomlin (5.8 ppg), Eric Avant (4.3 ppg) and Richard Oppitz (3 ppg) should all return. With that said, it’s safe to say the Panthers could go one step further next year.

“We have a lot of freshmen that are really good players,” Coombs said. “We just need to add a few players to the mix. We’re going to bring in some big post players who can play with their backs to the basket. We’ll fill some voids and address some minor issues and I believe this will be the team that will fight Cowley and Coffeyville for the conference championship.”

Added Coombs: “The future for Neosho basketball is very bright.”

Neosho averaged 82 points per game and allowed 79 per game.

The team faced nine ranked opponents this year.

Coombs said home wins over Cowley and Indy, along with the season-opening win over Brown Mackie, were season highlights.

Gomilla passing 1,000 points was another highlight, as was the team’s game with the Kansas Wesleyan JV team. In that game the Panthers broke the NCCC single game three-point record.

Sophomore guard Mark Gomillia receives a Neosho County 1,000 point Career Ball after reaching 1,000 points on a breakaway dunk Wed vs. Allen County - Panthers won 87-58

Mark Gomillia moves up the all-time scoring list passing Jannero Pargo after scoring 23pts vs. Hutch.

1.	Par Downing	1441	89-91
2.	James Gorham	1330	73-75
3.	David Mitchell	1187	71-73
4.	Michael Cuffee	1140	01-03
5.	Gerald Batty	1125	75-77
6	Mark Gomillia	*1087*	07-09
7.	Jannero Pargo	1064	98-00
8.	Jerry Smith	1061	77-79
9.	Robert Salisbury	1048	89-91
10.	Troy Gray	1046	91-93
11.	Trez’ Kilpatrick	1030	95-97
12.	Jason Gentz	1023	91-93
13.	Antoine Marshall	976	87-89
14.	Ron Allen	971	70-72

Gomilla Reaches Milestone

Jason Peake - Tribune Sports Editor

CHANUTE--Mark Gomilla passed 1,000 points in style.

The Neosho County Community College sophomore streaked out in transition, soared through the air and threw down a one-handed tomahawk dunk.

The basket gave Gomilla a milestone.

The 6-foot-5 Gomilla joined the 1,000 point club at NCCC on Wednesday night.

The game was stopped and Panthers Coach Jeremy Coombs presented his standout a special...

Everything goes Neosho County's way

Jason Peake - Tribune Sports Editor

CHANUTE--It was simply one of those nights.

Everything went Neosho County's way from start to finish in an 87-58 beatdown of Allen County Community College on Wednesday night.

With the postseason looming on the horizon, Neosho County men's basketball coach Jeremy Coombs said his team needed another win for seeding purposes.

"The guys want to...

Neosho County wins fourth-straight

Jason Peake - Tribune Sports Editor

CHANUTE—Neosho County Men’s Basketball Coach Jeremy Coombs wanted to rest his starters on Monday night.

Unfortunately, he had to use them to secure a win.

Using subs for the most of the night, the Panthers were up just one with eight minutes to play.

But after the starters entered the game, the Panthers went on a 26-17 to end the game and knocked off the Arkansas Tech JV team 85-75.

“We’ve played so many games recently that we wanted to give some of our guys some rest,” Coombs said. “I’m a little disappointed in the guys that played. They let them stay in the game. Obviously, I didn’t want to lose the game so we went with our starting five.”

The win was the fourth in a row for NCCC.

“We have some important conference games coming up, so hopefully we carry it on,” Coombs said. “Hopefully the wins keep carrying over. I know the guys are excited right now.”

The Panthers led 34-24 at the half as Tech stayed close by knocking down numerous three-pointers.

A back and forth second half saw Tech hang in there. Three’s by Blake Torres and Drew Siebenmorgan cut NCCC’s lead to 59-58 with eight minutes to go.

Coombs then went to his starters. Delray Mills scored two hoops, Allen Jones scored twice and the Panthers got free throws from Justin Fairman. Moments later, Mark Gomilla and Mills scored inside and the lead was safe at 79-67. Late free throws by both teams accounted for the final margin.

Adrian Sims had 18 for the Panthers and Antione Lundy and Antonio Banks each added 11 points. Mills and Eric Avant had nine apiece.

Proceeds from the game benefited a cancer patient.

The team will be back home on Saturday night at 8 p.m. against Coffeyville.

Panther Run Past Cardinals

NCCC 92, Labette 75

Jason Peake - Tribune Sports Editor

The Panthers looked like two completely different teams on Saturday night. The one that started the game let Labette hang around. But the one that started the second half blew the Cardinals away.

NCCC used a 17-0 run after halftime to blow past Labette 92-75 on Saturday, earning some payback for an earlier loss to the Cardinals.

The Panthers led 29-26 at the half, but stormed out of the lockerroom and blitzed the Cards right away. Before the visitors knew what hit them, they were down 20.

“It’s all about defense,” Coombs said. “I thought we played fairly well in the first half, but we didn’t play all the way up to our ability. Offensively, in the first half we were settling for three’s. We didn’t shoot well in the first half. At halftime we just talked about playing our game and taking shots we shoot. And we wanted to play our game and not play down to their level.”

The Panthers clicked on all cylinders offensively and got contributions from many as they put the game out of reach by knocking down shot after shot. On the other end, the Panthers forced several turnovers and controlled the glass.

The lead reached 30 points at 78-48.

Coombs liked what he saw out of his team, but added he’d like to see a complete game.

“We’ve got to put that together for the whole 40 minutes to be a great team,” Coombs said. “This is one of the most athletic and one of the best teams I’ve ever coached or been a part of. If we put it all together for 40 minutes we’re a dangerous team.”

Justin Fairman scored 16 points and had nine rebounds for NCCC, while Mark Gomilla and Antonio Banks each added 12 points apiece.

D’Andre Tomlin scored 11 and Antione Lundy had 12 rebounds.

Panthers upset Cowley

by Jason Peake Tribune Staff

CHANUTE—Exploding for 51 points in the second half, the Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team pulled off a 76-66 come-from-behind win over sixth-ranked Cowley College on Saturday night.

The Panthers were down by 13 points at 26-13 and trailed 34-25 at the half. But NCCC outscored the Tigers 51-32 after intermission to get the big win.

The men improved to 10-9 overall and 3-5 in the Jayhawk East with the win.

Neosho was up two at 67-65 when Justin Fairman’s hoop put the Panthers up four with just over a minute to go. Cowley missed several three-point tries late and the Panthers hit late free throws to earn the upset.

Mark Gomilla scored 20 points for NCCC. Fairman, Allen Jones and Antonio Banks all scored 10 points apiece.

Neosho County hosts Indy tonight at 8 p.m.

CHANUTE--For the second-straight game, the Neosho County Community College men's basketball team let a double-figures lead slip away.

But unlike Saturday's loss at Labette, the Panthers held on for a victory this time.

Neosho County made seven free throws in the last minute and held off Kansas City, Kansas 77-69 on Wednesday night in Jayhawk East play.

by Jason Peake Tribune staff

COFFEYVILLE—A seven point halftime cushion nearly disappeared, but the Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team held on for an 84-79 win over Dodge City on Sunday morning at the 2008 Jayhawk Shoot-Out at Coffeyville CC.

With the win, the Panthers went 2-0 at the annual tourney.

Sophomores Mark Gomilla and Adrian Sims scored 19 points apiece for the Panthers. Allen Jones added 18 and Delray Mills scored 10.

The Panthers improved to 7-4 on the season with the win.

Neosho County led 41-34 at the half, but the Conquistadors outscored the Panthers 45-43 in the second half.

Neosho County is home tonight against the Arkansas Tech JV team at 7 p.m.

Women win, too

Led by its pressure defense, the NCCC women topped Dodge City 78-62 on Sunday.

The Panthers forced 28 turnovers in the win. Neosho County was once again led by the duo of Fila Smith and Ashley Milian. Smith scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had six steals. Milian added 19 points with six rebounds.

Colette Montgomery added 17 points and Danielle Harris scored 12. The Panthers led 34-21 at the break.

The Panthers have now won three-straight games and are 4-7 on the season.

The women are home on Thursday night against Northeastern Oklahoma at 6 p.m.

NCCC men 84, Dodge City 79

Panthers pull out a win

by Jason Peake

Tribune Staff

The Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team defeated Mid America Nazarene’s JV team 94-85 on Tuesday.

Neosho County 94, Mid-America Nazarene JV 85

Pratt hands Panthers first loss

Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor

CHANUTE—Allen Jones missed a last-second three-pointer and Pratt Community College escaped with an 81-78 win over the Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team on Tuesday night.

It was the first loss of the season for the Panthers.

“The biggest difference in the game was the simple fact that we weren’t ready to play and I take full responsibility for that,” Panthers Coach Jeremy Coombs said.

“Three other factors that I’m most disappointed in is the fact we let Pratt dictate the game, we didn’t want it as much as they did and we still refuse to sit and guard people,” Coombs said. “And that’s on the team, not the staff. Those are little things and they require heart and we just didn’t have any tonight.”

The up-tempo, back and forth game saw 14 lead changes and 10 ties before it was over.

The Panthers overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half and retook the lead at 71-69 on a Zach Rhine three-pointer.

Both teams traded the lead back and forth and a dunk inside by Delray Mills gave the hosts a 78-77 lead with 1:35 to play.

The Beavers quickly scored going the other way and led 79-78 with 1:20 to go.

Neosho’s Antonio Banks missed a three-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire with 45 seconds to go. After one free throw by Pratt’s LaShawn Kelley, the visitors led 80-78 with 22 seconds left.

After a timeout, the Panthers had 14 seconds to work with, but were called for traveling as Banks looked to make a move on the perimeter.

The Panthers immediately fouled Hearn, who stepped to the line with just five seconds left. Hearn missed the first and made the second, making it 81-78.

After a timeout, Jones’ three was off the mark as the buzzer sounded and the Beavers got the win.

Pratt’s 6-foot-11, 270-pound big man Illiwa Baldwin proved tough to stop. Baldwin, a native of Australia, scored 28 points on 13-of-16 shooting. He even made a three-pointer late in the second half and also pulled down 11 rebounds.

For the Panthers, sophomore forward Mark Gomilla led the way with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting. The 6-5 Gomilla hit four three-pointers and also led the team with eight rebounds.

Jones had 16 points, while Mills and D’Andre Tomlin added nine points apiece. Kris Wilson had seven points and Rhine added six.

The Panthers are now 2-1. Pratt improved to 5-0.

Coombs said the loss was a wake-up call to the team, which had won the previous two games easily.

“I hope we can learn from this game and understand the consequences of not giving it our all,” Coombs said. “One game lost and four of our season goals just got swept out from under us. I still believe we can be a great team, we just let our youth show tonight.”

The first half was back and forth all the way, but Pratt led 45-40 at halftime.

The Beavers went up 59-47 after a three-pointer by Dernodo Eiland.

Led by Jones and Gomilla, the Panthers fought back. Jones scored six-straight for NCCC and then Gomilla caught fire, making three-straight jumpers, including two three-pointers.

The Panthers stepped up the defensive pressure, but the Beavers got two big hoops from Tyrone Gordon driving to the hoop to keep the lead. The visitors made enough free throws down the stretch to get the win.

The Panthers are at the Brown Mackie Tournament on Friday and Saturday. They’ll play Brown Mackie on Friday and Haskell on Saturday.

“We now need to get ready for Brown Mackie on Friday and not let this loss snowball,” Coombs said.

Note: The Panthers were without three players.

Pratt 81, NCCC 78

Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor

CHANUTE—The Panthers definitely passed the test.

Entering Saturday’s season-opener against Brown Mackie, Neosho County Community College men’s basketball coach Jeremy Coombs said his team would be tested.

As Saturday’s game ended, it was obvious that they earned an A-plus.

Using an intense pressure defense and with solid contributions from everyone, the Panthers ran past the Lions 120-92.

“It couldn’t have gone much better,” Coombs said. “We brought it defensively, forced a bunch of turnovers and we guarded. That’s our defense.”

Neosho County forced 26 Lion turnovers in the game.

The Panthers took advantage of almost every one. Using four guards at times, the Panthers raced up and down the court, scoring at will in the process.

“We pushed the ball up the court as much as we could and we really took it at them with our speed,” Coombs said. “And we attacked the basket.”

Neosho County ended up with eight players in double figures. Coombs said that kind of depth will be crucial to the team’s season.

“That’s going to be the key to our success this year,” Coombs said. “I didn’t feel nervous at all with our starters sitting on the bench.”

Freshman guard Allen Jones led the way with 19 points, including three three-pointers. Freshman guard Kris Wilson and sophomore forward Mark Gomilla each added 16 points apiece. Gomilla didn’t miss much. He went six of eight from the field with four three-pointers.

Sophomore post player Delray Mills had 15 points.

Coach Coombs said Gomilla and Mills set the tone for the team’s play.

“They’re our leaders and they’re doing a great job.”

Also in double figures were Antonio Banks with 12, Richard Oppitz with 11, D’Andre Tomlin and Zach Rhine each added 10 points apiece.

The Panthers made 15 three’s in the game and also hit 25 free throws.

“We didn’t shoot too bad,” Coombs said, adding the team shot 63 percent from the foul line. “I’d like to get that up to 73 percent or so.”

Brown Mackie made just two three-pointers in the game.

Two early trey’s by Gomilla seemed to energize the Panthers. It also allowed the team to set up its press.

Right from the start, it was clear that the Lions may have trouble with the pressure defense.

Early turnovers led to some easy baskets and the Panthers pulled away at 30-14 after hoops in transition by Justin Fairman and Jones.

NCCC 120, Brown Mackie 92

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