CCCC thumps Coffeyville

COFFEYVILLE — A Cloud County Community College women’s basketball team that had stumbled a bit heading into the semester break was able to find its footing in the first game back.
Cloud County suffered four consecutive Jayhawk Conference losses prior to the three week layoff.
Playing for the first time since a defeat at Dodge City Community College back on December 12, the Thunderbirds built a double digit lead and fended off a second half challenge on their way to a 70-53 conference road win over Coffeyville Community College Wednesday night.
“In that situation, Coffeyville is in the same boat as us, not having had a game for three weeks. There is a little sense of kind of starting over for both teams, I think,” Cloud County coach Brett Erkenbrack said. “Certainly the biggest thing is I am just happy that we won. That is a great win.”
Snapping the four-game losing skid, the T-Birds are now 10-5 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
Coffeyville suffered its first conference loss at home, and falls to 10-5 overall and 6-3 in the Jayhawk.
“To go down there and get that win kind of gives us that feeling like maybe we got one of those back that we felt like we gave away the first semester,” Erkenbrack said.
Cloud County trailed just once in the game at 5-4.
The game was tied at 7-7 when Sarah Lawless and Maimouna Sissoko connected on back-to-back three-point shots to put the T-Birds on top to stay, 13-7.
Sissoko, a 6-2 freshman, who had missed the final three games prior to the break because of an injury, scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down six rebounds.
“It does help to have Mai back, certainly,” Erkenbrack said.
Kyleigh Ortiz hit a three to pull Coffeyville within three points, 13-10.
The Red Ravens would then go over five minutes without scoring.
Cloud County tossed in the final five points of the first quarter, and led 18-10.
It was an 18-12 game in the second period when Lawless sandwiched a pair of long jumpers around a basket by Te Araroa Sopoaga to give the T-Birds a 24-12 cushion.
Lawless scored nine of her 11 points in the first half. She finished four of five from the field.
“We got some really good production from Sarah Lawless, especially the first half,” Erkenbrack said.
Coffeyville pulled within nine points, 27-18, before Cloud County pushed the lead back to 12 points, 33-2, heading into halftime.
The T-Birds scored the first two points of the second half, and led 35-21.
Getting three-point baskets by Ortiz and Kennady Roach, the Red Ravens pumped in nine straight points to close the gap to 35-30.
Alize Ruiz completed a three-point play and then scored off an offensive rebound to push the T-Birds’ lead to 40-30.
Coffeyville would get as close as seven points, 44-37.
With Sissoko scoring 10 of her points in the final 4:34 of the third quarter, Cloud County took a 52-43 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
It was a 54-45 lead when Sissoko and Lilly Smith scored four points each during a quick 8-0 spurt that put theT-Birds up 62-45.
The Red Ravens would get no closer than 13 points over the final six minutes.
Josephine Igherighe matched Lawless with 11 points for Cloud County.
Ruiz scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
Ortiz was the only Coffeyville player in double figures with 12 points.
Cloud County will play at home for the first time since December 10 when it hosts Garden City Community College at 2 p.m. Saturday.