T-Birds suffer another gut-wrenching defeat, 63-61

GARDEN CITY — Another game that was decided in the final seconds resulted in another gut-wrenching loss for the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds.
Tori Hunter knocked down a 16-foot guarded jumper with 3.2 seconds on the clock to give the Garden City Community College Conquistadors a 63-61Jayhawk Conference victory over Cloud County Saturday afternoon in Conestoga Arena.
Cloud County has lost four straight games to fall to 7-9 overall and 3-7 in conference play.
Three of the four T-Birds' losses were decided in the closing seconds, including a 72-69 setback at Butler Community College and a 93-89 double overtime defeat to Coffeyville Community College last Wednesday night.
“I feel like they have been put in a position to win, and at the end of the day you have got to learn how to make plays and make it happen,” Cloud County coach Devin Kastrup said. “It has been a hard week but I think our guys know that we have been in the driver’s seat in each of these games. So I think there is some positive to take away from that.”
Cloud County led Garden City 61-56 when Corey Sawyer Jr. scored on a drive with 2:34 to play in the game.
Jyre McCloud made one of two free throws to get Garden City within four points, 61-57.
The T-Birds came up empty on their next two offensive possessions and a pair of baskets by Heru Bligen pulled the Broncbusters even with Cloud County at 61-61 with under a minute to play.
With a chance to give the T-Birds the lead back, sophomore guard Savian Edwards drove to the basket but his shot wouldn’t fall and Garden City came away with the rebound.
“You get a wide open look by a sophomore point guard, who has scored a lot of points in this league, uncontested, really, at the rim. You just can’t ask for a better look than that,” Kastrup said.
Garden City put the ball in Hunter’s hands in the closing seconds, and he was able to knock down the tough jumper in the closing seconds to make it a 63-61 game.
“Their kid came down and hit a tough shot, and we missed a layup, so that is what it comes down to. That is not what concerns me. What concerns me is, four minutes to go we are up five. Those are the moments where we need to become a better team and increase our lead from five to seven to nine. Get that one stop, that one score we need and that is where I feel like we are lacking right now,” Kastrup said.
Cloud County called time out with 3.2 seconds on the clock.
The T-Birds got the ball in the hands of Nate Duckworth, but he was unable to get off a shot as time expired.
Duckworth, who was 7 of 11 from the field including three of four from three-point range, scored 20 points.
Sawyer Jr. added 14 points.
Hunter led three Garden City players in double figures with 21 points. Rodney Lewis scored 13 and Bligen finished with 12.
Struggling against Garden City’s pressure defense, the T-Birds fell behind 14-7 in the first nine minutes of the game.
Cloud County turned the ball over 25 times.
The T-Birds went on an 18-7 run to take a 25-21 lead.
Cloud County was leading 25-23 when Edwards hit two threes and scored eight points during a 10-3 spurt that made it 35-26 at halftime.
Garden City, 10-5 overall and 4-5 in the conference, battled back to take a 51-50 lead with just over six minutes to play.
An 8-3 spurt put the T-Birds back on top 59-54.
Cloud County had the 61-56 advantage before the Broncbusters rallied late to pull out the win.
“That is how it goes when you play extremely tight games. You will win some, you will lose some. You will win some you are not supposed to and you will lose some you are not supposed to. I feel like that has been the story over our season with all of these tight games. They could have gone either way. We just fell on the wrong side of the last couple,” Kastrup said.
The T-Birds will host Cowley College on Wednesday night.