Cloud County outlasts Pirates in OT, 99-96

INDEPENDENCE — Needing wins in their final two games of the regular season to have a shot at finishing in the top four in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division and hosting a first-round game in the Region 6 playoffs, the Cloud County Thunderbirds got halfway home by outlasting the Independence Community College Pirates 99-96 in overtime on Saturday.
Cloud County, now 15-14 overall, has won three straight games to improve to 9-10 in the conference.
The T-Birds are currently in fourth place in the East behind Coffeyville (17-1), Cowley (10-8) and Independence (9-9).
Neosho County is 8-9 and Butler is 8-10 heading into the final week of the regular season.
Cloud County finishes up the regular season by hosting Neosho County on Wednesday night.
“We have every chance in the world to claim a home playoff spot now. We’ll be watching a week from today when everyone is playing to see what happens,” Cloud County coach Jordan Altman said, “We’ll have a chance to finish over .500 on the season, over .500 in the conference and sometimes that is all you ask for in the KJCCC. We’re getting contributions from everyone right now, and hopefully we earn a first-round home playoff game for the returners who stuck things our with us last year.”
Independence rallied from five points down in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime when Derrick Redmon hit a three-point shot with time running out that tied the game at 84-84.
“That was my fault. We probably should have fouled before he shot so they were only shooting two free throws,” Altman said, “But what we told the guys is the same thing we told them after regulation against Hutchinson last year. ‘You don’t remember the blowout wins or get nostalgic about 30-point wins.’ Fifteen to 20 years from now the guys will be talking about the win at Indy. If you want to be a basketball player, and you love the game, these overtime games are he ones that stick with you.”
Edoardo Del Cadia made one of two free throws 12 seconds into the extra period to give the T-Birds an 85-84 lead.
Tonje Durham scored on a drive, and the Pirates led 86-85.
A basket by Najir Scott and a free throw by Del Cadia put Cloud County back on top, 88-86.
Alex Torres hit two free throws for Independence to tie the game at 88-88.
Cloud County’s DJ Sims was fouled with 2:36 remaining. Before he could shoot the first of two free throws a technical foul was called on the Pirates.
Alvin Thompson made one of the two technical free throws and Sims hit one of two to put the T-Birds up 90-88.
Hitting one of two free throws just 18 seconds later, Anquaevious Pollard made it a 90-89 game.
Jerome Kidd scored on a drive and Gabe Pieschl hit a three-point shot to push Cloud County’s lead to 95-89 with just over a minute on the clock.
The Pirates would close the gap to 95-93 on two free throws with 25 seconds left.
Thompson hit two free throws, and Scott went one of two to make it 98-93.
Independence would get as close as two points, 98-96, but time ran out.

Cloud County led the game 41-31 at halftime, and was up by as many as 11 points early in the second half.
Independence battled back to take a 66-64 lead when Alex Torres hit a three-point shot with 8:25 to play in regulation.
There would be three lead changes and two ties over the next four minutes.
Trailing 75-73, the T-Birds got a three by Sims, two free throws by Scott and a follow by Thompson to grab an 80-75 advantage with 1:10 on the clock.
The two teams exchanged scores and Torres drove to the basket and score to make it 82-79 with 26 seconds left.
Thompson went one of two from the line, and Torres scored again to close the gap to 83-81.
Jerome Kidd Jr. made one of two free throws, and Cloud County led 84-81.
The three by Redmon then tied the game at 84-84.
Cloud County got a halfcourt heave as time ran out that was off the mark, and the game wen to overtime.
Because of a software malfunction in Independence, there were no game statistics available.