HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Cowley Tigers scored 58 points in the paint to Allegany Maryland's 14 for a win in the first round of the tournament. No. 9 Cowley beat the No. 24 seed Allegany Maryland Trojans 87-64 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

Sophomore forward Jeff Nwankwo scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Cowley. Sophomore guard Arzhonte Dallas scored 19 points, dished out five assists and had five steals.&nbsp;

Sophomore guard Jason Thomas scored 16 points for Allegany.&nbsp;

At halftime, Cowley led Allegany 39-24 and maintained their lead through the second. Cowley shot 50% from the field, 30% from the 3-point line and 57.1% from the free throw line.&nbsp;

Cowley will play against No.8 seed Northwest Florida State tomorrow night at 5 p.m. Bryan Kesler and Rick Kraus will have the game play-by-play tomorrow night on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711308556408.jpeg" alt="Sophomore guard Damare Smith dribbling down the court at the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The Kansas City native scored 11 points for Cowley on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese." />
 <figcaption>Sophomore guard Damare Smith dribbling down the court at the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The Kansas City native scored 11 points for Cowley on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese.</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Cowley Tigers scored 58 points in the paint to Allegany Maryland's 14 for a win in the first round of the tournament. No. 9 Cowley beat the No. 24 seed Allegany Maryland Trojans 87-64 on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Sophomore forward Jeff Nwankwo scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Cowley. Sophomore guard Arzhonte Dallas scored 19 points, dished out five assists and had five steals.&nbsp;Sophomore guard Jason Thomas scored 16 points for Allegany.&nbsp;At halftime, Cowley led Allegany 39-24 and maintained their lead through the second. Cowley shot 50% from the field, 30% from the 3-point line and 57.1% from the free throw line.&nbsp;Cowley will play against No.8 seed Northwest Florida State tomorrow night at 5 p.m. Bryan Kesler and Rick Kraus will have the game play-by-play tomorrow night on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.&nbsp;

🏀 NJCAA Tourney: Cowley outlasts Allegany in the paint for first round win