T-Birds come up short at Dodge City

DODGE CITY — Able to overcome a double digit deficit in the first half, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds were unable to do it again in the second half of a 67-57 Jayhawk Conference loss to the Dodge City Community College Conquistadors Saturday afternoon.
Cloud County fell behind 17-2 to open the game, but battled back to take a 25-22 halftime lead.
Leading 31-30 in the second half, the T-Birds would be outscored 23-4 in a 10-minute stretch to fall behind 53-35.
Cloud County would mount another comeback and closed the gap to just seven points, 62-55, when Rori Cox made one of two free throws with 36 seconds remaining in the game.
Dodge City knocked down five of six free throws in 20 seconds to lock up the win and earn the regular season split with the T-Birds.
Cloud County, now 11-15 overall and 7-13 in the Jayhawk Conference, had beaten the Conquistadors 87-55 in the first meeting of the season.
Dodge City, by avenging that loss, improved to 15-10 overall and 10-9 in conference play.
Getting a pair of three-point baskets by Jenna Rose Mafua, the Conquistadors bolted to the quick 17-2 lead in the game.
“We certainly didn’t start the game well and it is tough, a 1:00 game at Dodge City. We leave at 8:00 in the morning and drive out there. I think it lends itself to maybe not being fully ready to start. But at the same time, you only have so many opportunities to play the game,” Cloud County coach Brett Erkenbrack said.
Cloud County went without a field goal before Kennedy Becker scored with 4:08 to play in the first quarter.
Rori Cox followed with a three-point shot. Shakira Smith made one of two free throws and Paula Puzule hit a three to pull the T-Birds within six points, 17-11.
A three-point play by Jada Burton gave Dodge City a 20-11 advantage heading into the second period.
Becker scored for Cloud County, but the Conquistadors answered with a steal and layup by Destinee Paul to make it 22-13 with 8:08 remaining in the first half.
Dodge City would not score again in the period.
Puzule, who was 4 of 11 from three-point range in scoring 14 points in the game, knocked down a pair of triples as the T-Birds put together a 12-0 run to go up 25-22 at halftime.
 “We did really play good defense the second quarter. We still weren’t very good offensively, but held them to two points the entire second quarter. To be up three at half, I felt pretty good about where we were at,” Erkenbrack said.
Mafua, who led Dodge City with 17 points, connected on a three-point shot 20 seconds into the second half to end the scoring drought.
Georgia Gray went one of two from the free throw line to give the lead back to the Conquistadors, 26-25.
Cloud County would go the first 7:35 of the second half without a field goal.
The T-Birds made six of eight free throws, and led 31-30 when Kay Hauata Phillips went one of two from the line with 4:11 left in the third period.
Doge City scored the next seven points to go on top to stay, 37-31.
A basket by Rori Cox made it 37-33.
The Conquistadors outscored the T-Birds 7-2 over the final 2:11 of the quarter and led 44-35.
Scoring the first nine points of the final period Dodge City extended its lead to 53-35.
“A lot of that boils down to not taking care of the basketball, missing what are seemingly easy scoring opportunities, missing free throws. And when we do that we break down defensively. They hit some big threes and we got down big,” Erkenbrack said.
Cloud County started chipping away at the deficit, and made it a 62-54 game when Olivia Collier-Tuipulotu made two free throws with 41 seconds left.
The T-Birds forced a turnover and Cox was fouled. She went one of two from the line, and it was a 62-55 game.
Dodge City was able to knock down enough free throws over the final 35 seconds to hang on.
“To our credit we didn’t give up and lay down and get rolled,” Erkenbrack said.
Cox finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for Cloud County.
Becker had 14 rebounds to go with six points.
Krystina Toogood joined Mafua in double figures for Dodge City with 16 points.
Cloud County is back on the road tonight with a game at Coffeyville Community College.