Panthers hold on for league win over Abilene, 57-52

ABILENE — Alan Garcia capped off his best performance of the season by knocking down four straight free throws and grabbing a crucial offensive rebound in the final 20 seconds to help the Concordia Panthers preserve a 57-52 North Central Kansas League road victory over the Abilene Cowboys on Tuesday night.
Concordia was clinging to a 53-52 lead on Abilene when Garcia was fouled with 19.9 seconds remaining in the game. The senior made both free throws to push the lead to three points.
Triston Cottone missed on a three-point attempt for Abilene, and Aceyn Cash was fouled with 6.7 seconds remaining.
Cash, an 85 percent free throw shooter, missed both attempts from the line, but Garcia grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled.
Garcia, who hit all four of his field goal attempts and all eight of his free throws in scoring a game-high 16 points, again went two of two from the charity stripe to put the game out of reach at 57-52.
“His two best games this year have been against Abilene,” Concordia coach Derek Holmes said of Garcia. “He was huge. Four for four from the field, eight for eight from the line. He really played well.”
Garcia also grabbed eight rebounds in the game, including five on the offensive end.
Picking up its first win at Abilene since 2014, Concordia avenged an earlier 66-57 home loss to the Cowboys to improve to 8-8 overall and 2-5 in league play.
“I was just really proud of our kids. They showed a lot of heart and a lot of toughness. We rebounded the ball great. They didn't get many second chance opportunities,” Holmes said. “We are starting to finish games again. They are obviously a talented team; they are ranked 10th in 4A, so that is a good win on the road for us.”
Abilene has lost three straight games, and four of its last five, to fall to 8-8 overall and 4-3 in the league.
After leading 7-4 early in the game, Concordia trailed 15-11 after one quarter.
Four straight points by Garcia to open the second period pulled the Panthers even at 15-15.
A three-point play by Stockton Timbrook and a three-point basket by Zach Miller gave Abilene its biggest lead of the game, 21-5.
Concordia got a three by Payton Breese and two free throws by Jonathan Turner to close the gap to 21-20.
Cottone hit a three, and the Cowboys led 24-20.
Breese drilled another three and Garcia tipped in a missed shot as time expired in the first half to put the Panthers up 25-24.
Neither team would lead by more than four points in the third quarter.
Trailing 41-37, the Cowboys got a three-point basket by Cottone and a bucket by Grant Waite to go back on top, 42-41.
Breese connected on a three in the final seconds of the period to give the Panthers a 44-42 advantage. They would not trail again.
Concordia would not score from the field in the fourth quarter, but made 13 of 21 free throw attempts.
“We are attacking the rim now, ever since the Clifton-Clyde game. We didn't shoot a free throw that game; the last two games we have shot 28 and 27 free throws,” Holmes said.
The Panthers finished 17 of 27 from the line in the game.
Hitting six of nine free throws in the first 4:40 of the final period, Concordia pushed its lead to 51-45.
Abilene would pull to within a point, 51-40, when Timbrook hit a three with 1:28 on the clock.
Peyton Retter missed a pair of free throws for the Panthers, but Timbrook was unable to get a shot in the lane to fall.
Two free throws by Joey Henderson put Concordia up 53-50.
Brax Fisher scored for the Cowboys with 25 seconds left, and it was again a one-point game, 53-52.
Concordia was unable to get the ball in bounds and turned it over on a five-second call.
Abilene had a chance to grab the lead, but Timbrook was unable to finish on a drive to the basket.
Garcia was then fouled and made both free throws.
Cottone missed a three-point attempt to tie the game and Cash pulled down the rebound.
Cash missed two free throws, but Garcia got the offensive rebound and made two free throws to secure the win.
Three Panthers scored in double figures.
Cash finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds and Turner added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Breese was three of five from three-point range in scoring nine points.
Henderson added nine points and five assists.
Timbrook and Fisher scored 14 points each for Abilene and Cottone added 12 points.
“It was a good overall team effort. Everybody contributed,” Holmes said.
Concordia hosts Chapman in a league game on Friday night.

CONCORDIA (57)
Henderson 2-5-1 9, Garcia 4-8-1 16, Retter 1-0-1 2, Cash 4-2-3 11, Breese 3-0-2 9, Turner 4-2-1 10. Totals: 18-17-9 57.
ABILENE (52)
Fisher 5-3-3 14, Waite 2-0-3 4, Cottone 3-3-2 12, Becker 0-0-2 0, Miller 2-0-5 6, Timbrook 6-1-3 14, Vinduska 0-0-1 0. Totals: 19-7-19 52.