Collin College's basketball teams started the year with a series of wins. The Cougars and Lady Cougars recorded three Ws in conference play to open January.
The Collin College men's team sandwiched its first conference win between a pair of blowouts of local colleges. The Cougars beat Southwestern Christian College 72-67 on the road to open North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) play. The teams were evenly matched on paper, although Collin shot better from the field with a 47.3% shooting average. Thai Elder led scoring for Collin College with 22 points, with John Achebe contributing 14 and Jay Wilson adding 10. Achebe and Elder each had one block.
The conference win followed a 117-41 victory over Dallas Christian, in which six players scored in double digits. Wilson and Ben Joelson led the group with 18 points each, followed by Lucas Burton with 15. The team recorded nine steals and four blocked shots in the game but mostly outhustled the visitors.
The Cougars added another notch to its belt against Loyalty College Prep with a 112-40 win on Jan. 13. The team shot 64.7 percent from the field and 36.7% behind the three-point line. Achebe led the team in scoring with 17 points, followed by Isaiah Washington with 15 and Daylen Minor with 14. Everyone got playing time in the game.
The Lady Cougars posted comfortable wins over two NTJCAC opponents after the first game of the month was canceled.
The team defeated Cisco College 61-41 in its home conference opener. The Lady Cougars led in all but the final frame, pulling away in the third quarter to give themselves a commanding lead. Beyoncé Lane and Skye Dugan led all scorers with 14 points each, followed by Dustie Obah with 12 points. Lane had one block and five steals in the game.
The Lady Cougars came up big with an 80-24 win on the road against Southwestern Christian College. Collin College's defensive play held SCC to single digits in the game's final three quarters. Five Collin players scored in double digits with Mykaila Pickard leading all scorers with 18 points. She was followed by Dugan and Nikki Green with 15 points each.
NTJCAC conference play continues with home games against Weatherford, Saturday, Jan. 15. The women's team tips off at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game beginning at 4 p.m.