By - Tim Simmons
Trinidad State has not taken the easy route to capturing three straight Region 9 post-season titles as the Trojans have secured each championship on the floor of the host school.
In becoming only the fourth school in the 72-season history of Region 9 of the National Junior College Athletic Association to win three straight titles to automatically qualify for the national tournament, Trinidad State posted an impressive 81-59 win over host Western Nebraska in Scottsbluff on Saturday to earn its 20th seed in next week's championships.
With their four post-season wins, 25-7 Trinidad State plays 13th-seeded Odessa of Texas in an opening round game in Hutchinson, Kan., with a 6:10 p.m. (MT) tipoff. The winner of the TSC/OC game challenges fourth-seeded Vincennes of Indiana on March 26.
"We were very disappointed when WNCC beat us in Trinidad (February 23) ," said Trojan coach Mike Folda, who is in his 14th season at the southern Colorado school. In that game, Western Nebraska scored a 77-76 win at historic Scott Gym in Trinidad.
"Our kids wanted to play them (Western Nebraska) before the tournament even started," Folda added. "We had our best defensive effort of the season in the championship game, and it showed how bad our kids wanted to beat them on their home floor again."
In January, Trinidad State posted an 85-69 over Western Nebraska in Scottsbluff. While WNCC did not lose another conference game to earn the right to host the post-season tournament, the Trojans stumbled the next night in Sterling by losing 76-64 to Northeastern Colorado.
To start their post-season Region 9 run, the Trojans advanced to the regional tournament by defeating Lamar in Trinidad before posting victories over Laramie County, Gillette and Western Nebraska in Scottsbluff.
"Winning three Region 9 championships in a row is extremely rewarding; I never thought it would be possible,", said Folda who played collegiately at both Northeastern and CSU Pueblo. "Losing a great player like Dejour Reaves (now an all-Big Sky selection at Northern Colorado) from last year's team made this season's championship even more special."
Entering the post-season event where Western Nebraska earned the right to host by finishing with an 11-1 Region 9 South mark, Folda said he felt his Trojans "had a chance to win the region tournament again. Gillette College gave us all we could handle in the semifinals, and we were very fortunate to escape with a win. I never could imagine winning the region title game by that margin. I figured it would be a grind it out game given WNCC talent and a packed house. Our kids were amazing that night."
Folda added that Trinidad State "had multiple players having great impact in our region tournament games. Lateef Patrick had 28 points in the championship game. Keliese Frye was dominant with his defense and rebounding throughout the tournament and made plays when we most needed them. Lateef, Keliese Devin Davenport and Amir Reaves were all selected to the all-tournament team."
Freshman Patick from Milton, Mass., leads Trinidad State in scoring with a 17.5 average. Frye is the only other player in double figures with an 11.3 average. A sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, Frye averaged 9.9 points a game for the TSC during the 2022-2023 season.
As for Trinidad State's fifth trip to NJCAA nationals, Folda said the field is made up of "great teams and with a lot of talented players. We were able to beat them back (Odessa) in December. It will be a great challenge for our program and will have to play one of our best games of the year."
Trinidad State posted an 81-71 win over Odessa in an early December tournament in Roswell, N.M. Odessa, which was ranked 15 in the NJCAA March 4 poll, has a 24-8 record and earned an at-large berth in the national tournaments.
Pueblo Junior College was the first to win three-straight Region 9 playoffs for a trip to Hutchinson as the then-Indians placed 11th in 1955, sixth in 1956 and third in 1957. Pueblo JC is the only Region 9 school to win a NJCAA title as the school captured the 1961 crown by defeating Tyler (Texas) in the finale.
Casper College on three straight titles in 1970, 1971 and 1972 with Western Nebraska accomplishing the feat twice (1993-1995 and 1997-1999).
As for Region 9 "Elite 8" finishes, Casper leads the way with six highlighted by "final four" placements in 1964 (2th), 1963 (3rd) and 1970 (4th). Northeastern and Pueblo each have four "Elite 8" finishes as the Plainsmen were fourth in 1968. Trinidad's best placement was sixth in 1962 in its first appearance in the nationals.