The Storm won the Region IX championship with an 81-69 win over conference rival Central Community College on Sunday, March 1, at the Truman Center. Southeast advanced to the District Championship game while CCC’s season is over.

The win comes after the team struggled through a 12-18 season and suffered through six and four-game losing streaks.

“Even with all those tough losses … if we find a way to win the next game we’re where we wanted to be all along,” Wooton said.

Freshman Snyder Cenecharles said the team had a tough time “trusting one another” at the beginning of the season.

However, SCC was able to put together one of their better efforts of the season in the win over Central, with three players hitting double figures in points. Cenechrarles led the way with 20, followed by Altez Davis and John Swift, who had 19 and 14 points respectively.

“That is the first time all year that we have had all three of those guys in double figures in the same game,” Wooton said. “That makes us that much harder to guard.”

“We were able to pass the ball and play as a team,” Cenecharles explained. “(That) allowed us to get shots on key possessions in the game.”

Wooton said the SCC bench was also key factor in the game, as all 12 SCC players scored.

Southeast will embark on a long road trip to take on Region 13 Champion Dakota College at Bottineau, N.D., on Sunday, March 8, for the right to advance to the National Junior College Tournament in Danville, Ill.