WILLMAR -- Before the game, Ridgewater College sophomore forward Travis Epema said it was imperative that the team win three of their last four games to have a chance at the playoffs.
Make that three-of-three after Wednesday night's 56-54 loss to the visiting Bluejays from Minnesota West.
The Warriors missed two driving lay-ups in heavy traffic and a 30-footer at the buzzer to win. The missed shots were all part of a dismal night shooting: 19 of 66 or 33.8 percent.
Both the Bluejays and Ridgewater are now 3-6 and trailing Anoka-Ramsey in the Southern Division of the Minnesota Community College Conference.
Ridgewater hosts Anoka-Ramsey on Saturday (3 p.m.), then is at Fergus Falls Wednesday and at No. 1 Minneapolis the following Saturday to end the season.
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The Warriors lost to Anoka in Coon Rapids, beat Fergus here and lost to Minneapolis in overtime.
"We've been a team of spurts all year," said Epema. "We're as good as any of these teams when were on, but we haven't been consistent."
The Warriors sprinted to leads of 10-2 and 21-7, then went in a shell and barely led 28-27 at halftime.
The Bluejays jumped out front by as much as seven points but consecutive treys by Tony Kley and Geoff Nelson knotted the score at 51-all with 5:00 left, but Nelson's make would be Ridgewater's last field goal of the game. The Bluejays moved in front and held the lead with offensive rebounding.
Tut Yual, a 6-7 sophomore from Omaha, led West with 12 points and 17 rebounds, both team highs.
Larry Players added 10 points Ridgewater.
Minn. West 56, Ridgewater 54
Minnesota West (3-6, 10-12) 27 29 -- 56
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Ridgewater (3-6, 8-13) 28 26 -- 54
MINNESOTA WEST - 23-68 FG (6-22 3 pt); 4-8 FT; 51 rebounds; 16 fouls ... Scoring: Dan Archie 3-6 0-0 6, Kanir Jackson 1-5 2-4 5, Cameron Barlowe 3-9 0-0 9, Tut Yual 6-13 0-0 12, CJ Nelson 2-3 1-3 5, Russ Grfiese 2-11 0-0 6, Alex Sudar 5-9 0-0 10, Lue Mendez 1-5 0-0 2, Mike Riley 0-5 1-2 1 ... 3-point shots: Jackson 1-3, Griese 2-11, Barlowe 3-6 ... Rebound leader: Yual 17 ... Assist leader: Archie 3 ... Steal leader: Riley 2 ... Blocked shots: Yual 5
RIDGEWATER - 19-66 FG (5-23 3 pt); 11-17 FT; 46 rebounds; 11 fouls ... Scoring: Travis Epema 0-5 3-4 3, Geoff Nelson 1-2 0-0 3, Dante Bogard 7-17 5-6 21, Tony Kley 3-11 2-3 9, Wesley Kitt 0-13 1-4 1, Preston Looman 3-6 0-0 7, Larry Playher 5-7 0-0 10... 3-point shots: Nelson 1-2, Bogard 2-8, Johnson 1-2, Looman 1-3 ... Rebound leader: Epema 4, Shawn Thissen 3, Bogard 7, Kley 7, Looman 4, Player 8 ... Assist leader: Thissen 2, Kley 2, Kitt 2 ... Steal leader: Bogard 2, Kley 5 ... Blocks: Player 3
NEXT -- Ridgewater: home, 3 p.m., Saturday, Anoka-Ramsey.
