CCCC women fend off Pirates, 77-57

Seven was enough for the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds to defeat the Independence Community College Pirates 77-57 in a Jayhawk Conference matchup Wednesday night in Bryant Gymnasium.
Cloud County, playing its first game since December 10, had just seven players in uniform for the game against Independence.
Two of the Cloud County players did not return following the semester break and two others were unavailable for the first game back.
"Hopefully, eventually we will have nine, but only had seven," Cloud County coach Brett Erkenbrack said.
Cloud County, now 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the Jayhawk Conference, got out to an early 12-point lead, surrendered it and then took control late in the first half and early in the second on its way to snapping Independence's three game winning streak.
The Pirates are now 8-5 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
Cloud County scored the first six points of the game.
Independence went the first 3:38 of the game without scoring before a bucket by Serenity Echols made it 6-2.
Baskets by Destiny Smith and Josephine Igherighe and four straight points by Bailey Burns gave Cloud County a 14-2 advantage.
Knocking down three three-point shots, the Pirates put together a 14-4 run over the final 3:18 of the first quarter to pull within two points, 18-16.
Independence was 6 of 13 from three-point range in the opening half and made just 2 of 14 in the second half.
"The first half we gave up six threes, which really allowed Independence to stay in it," Erkenbrack said. "Pretty much all of those were uncontested."
Cloud County would up its lead to 30-23 in the second period.
A 10-2 spurt gave Independence its only lead of the game, 33-32, when Sunishka Kartik made two free throws with 3:32 remaining in the first half.
Starting with a steal and a layup by Darcy Lierz, the T-Birds scored the next eight points to go on top to stay, 40-33.
A pair of free throws by Echols left Independence trailing, 40-35.
Merveille Nkoyock scored 10 seconds into the second half, and the Pirates trailed just 40-37.
Tossing in 11 straight points, Cloud County extended its lead to 51-37.
Independence got as close as 10 points, 51-41.
The T-Birds were up 59-47 heading into the fourth quarter.
Scoring nine points in 1:42, Cloud County opened up a 64-47 advantage.
Independence got no closer than 15 points over the final eight minutes.
"We started the game well. We started the second half well and we started the fourth quarter well," Erkenbrack said. "I thought we pretty much controlled the game from start to finish and I was really happy about that."
Josephine Igherighe hit 8 of 12 field goal attempts and five of six free throws in scoring a team-high 21 points for Cloud County.
Maimouna Sissoko finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Smith added 16 points.
"We got really good production from Mai, Josie and Destiny," Erkenbrack said.
Jasirae Vick led four Independence players in double figures with 15 points.
Echols and Kartik scored 13 points each and Nkoyock added 11.
Cloud County plays a conference game at Pratt Community College on Saturday afternoon.