Short-handed T-Birds fall to Conquistadors, 87-79

DODGE CITY — Short on players but not on fight, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds battled top-seeded Dodge City Community College to the end before falling 87-79 in the quarterfinals of the Region VI Tournament Tuesday night in the Student Activities Center.
Cloud County, which had lost starters Cheikh Sow and Malang Athian to injuries in the past few weeks, led 13th-ranked Dodge City 50-49 when Ja’Ron Briggs Jr. completed a three-point play with 15:30 remaining in the game.
The Conquistadors scored the next seven points to wrestle the lead away from the T-Birds at 56-50, and would not surrender it over the final 13 minutes.
“Backs against the wall, the guys gave their full effort. They gave the best of which each person was capable,” Cloud County coach Devin Kastrup said. “Obviously we weren't perfect and we made some mistakes, but I think our guys each did give what they have. So I am proud of the effort. They made the plays just a couple of more times than we did.”
Cloud County finishes up its season at 16-16.
“I felt that this year we learned that to win in the Jayhawk Conference you need depth, talent and some luck. We had talent. Our depth wasn't there and I felt like we got bit by some injury bug,” Kastrup said. “To win in our league you have got to be able to stay healthy, and we did not. But six top-25 wins is nothing to scoff. Guys did it right, guys played hard.”
Dodge City (23-8) moves on to the tournament semifinals and will play fourth-seeded Butler Community College (23-8)  at Friends University on Friday.
Butler got past Independence Community College, 76-70.
In the other quarterfinals games, second-seeded Coffeyville Community College raced past seventh-seeded Pratt Community College, 114-82, and third-seeded Barton Community College downed sixth-seeded Hutchinson Community College, 82-78.
Coffeyville (24-7) plays Barton (23-8) in the other semifinal.
Falling behind 15-10 in the opening six minutes, the T-Birds would get a three-point basket by Andre Gray II and a three-point play by Briggs to go up 16-15.
There were then four lead changes in the next two minutes.
A jumper by Joe Kearney, a three by Briggs Jr. and two free throws by Justin Graham gave Cloud County its biggest lead at 25-19.
The Conquistadors got a pair of baskets by Cam Malray and two threes by Jason Edwards during a 10-2 spurt that gave them a 29-27 advantage.
Cloud County would battle back to take a 37-36 lead when Kyle McElroy scored inside with 3:19 to play in the first half.
Edwards, the Conquistadors’ leading scorer on the season who came off the bench to score 19 points, hit a three and was fouled. He made the free throw to make it a 40-37 game.
Edwards was whistled for technical foul after making the free throw.
Corey Sawyer knocked down both technical free throws, and Cloud County was down just 40-39.
Sawyer was 15 of 16 from the line in scoring a game-high 26 points. He also had seven rebounds.
Dodge City scored the next five points to go up 45-39.
A pair of free throws by Sawyer with three seconds to play in the first half left the T-Birds trailing, 45-41.
Cloud County, starting with a three by Kearney, opened the second half with a 9-4 spurt to reclaim the lead at 50-49.
A dunk by Malray, a three-point shot by DJ Jones and a layup by Edwards put the Conquistadors on top to stay, 56-50.
Briggs Jr. scored on a drive and Kearney made a three to close the gap to one point, 56-55.
Dodge City was able to hold onto the lead over the final 12 minutes.
Cloud County was down just 68-65 when a dunk by Jacob Sebok and two free throws by Malray made it 72-65.
Malray finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Sawyer scored on a drive for Cloud County, but the Conquistadors answered with a three by Jones, and led 75-67.
The T-Birds got as close as four points, 83-79, when Sawyer made two free throws with 24 seconds on the clock.
Jones and Edwards made two free throws each over the final 17 seconds to lock up the win for Dodge City.
“I always feel like games like that you have to be five points better to win the game as the road dog, and at points we were better but we were never five points better,” Kastrup said. “And then time runs out on you and you have got to start fouling and that is where they extend the lead.”
Cloud County had Briggs Jr. score 16 points.
Kearney finished with 15 points and Gray II added 13 points off the bench.
Jones scored 14 points for Dodge City and Sebok chipped in 10 points.