T-Birds tumble to No. 5 Dodge City

A short-handed Cloud County Community College men’s basketball team that was wrapping up a grueling stretch of three games in six days, including two on the road, battled but couldn’t keep pace with the fifth-ranked Dodge City Community College Conquistadors.
Cloud County, trailing Dodge City just 47-40 midway through the second half, was outscored  23-13 over the final 10 minutes in suffering a second consecutive loss to a ranked team, 70-53, Monday night in Bryant Gymnasium.
The Thunderbirds had picked up a road win over a Barton Community College team that had received votes in the NJCAA poll last Wednesday night before suffering a hard-fought 72-69 loss at then 14th-ranked Butler Community College on Saturday.
Without the services of several players because of injury, illness and suspension, Cloud County hung with Dodge City for 30 minutes before wearing down.
“I feel like our guys played hard. They did the best that they could,” Cloud County coach Devin Kastrup said. “All I asked is that they went as hard as possible, and at the same time there are no excuses.”
The T-Birds will take a 7-7 record into a lengthy semester break. They are 3-5 in the Jayhawk Conference.
Cloud County is off until hosting Coffeyville Community College on January 5.
“No question this is a good time for us to have a break, just to get healthy. We have worked so hard this fall. So a two-week break is going to be good for the bodies and for their minds,” Kastrup said.
Dodge City posted its 10th consecutive win and is now 12-1 overall and leads the conference at 7-0.
The Conquistadors lone loss was at New Mexico Military Institute back in early November.
Cloud County fell behind 6-2 in the first 2:45 of the game, but battled back and took a 16-15 lead when Corey Sawyer Jr. hit a three-point shot with 8:10 to play in a low-scoring first half.
Five straight points by Oumar Koureissi gave Dodge City the lead back at 20-16.
The Conquistadors would not trail again.
The two teams traded scores and a basket by Nate Duckworth got the T-Birds within two points, 22-20, with 5:38 to play in the first half.
Duckworth was the leading scorer for Cloud County for the third consecutive game with 20 points. He hit 9 of 14 field goal attempts and one of two free throws.
Koureissi, who scored 11 of his 15 points in a span of less than five minutes, tossed in four points during a 6-2 spurt that put Dodge City on top, 28-20.
It was a 29-23 game when the Conquistadors tossed in seven points in 1:01 to open up a 36-23 halftime advantage.
A three-point basket in the opening minute of the second half gave Dodge City a 39-23 cushion.
Duckworth tossed in seven points, and Zion Obanla added three, during a 10-2 run by Cloud County that closed the gap to 41-33.
A bucket by Koureissi and a three-point play by Themus Fulks made it 45-33.
The two teams exchanged free throws.
Sawyer Jr. sandwiched a pair of baskets around a layup by Duckworth, and the T-Birds were down just 47-40.
Dodge City would score the next eight points, six by Fulks, to push the lead to 55-40.
Fulks scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. He was 6 of 12 from the floor and made 11 of 12 free throws.
Dodge City shot 29 free throws in the game, and made 23 of them for 79 percent.
The T-Birds went to the line just 13 times and made just five of those attempts.
Cloud County, after falling behind by double digits again, was unable to climb back any closer than 12 points over the final eight minutes.
“Our guys battled, and that is, bar none, the most talented team in the nation,” Kastrup said. “Could it have been closer, yes, but we are short-handed and our guys battled to the end. I am proud of the effort and I told our guys after that game that if that is the most talented team we will see, that means when we get to March, and we are playing for March, and it is a one game series against anybody in this conference, I know we can get it.”
Duckworth was the only T-Bird to score in double figures.
Joe Kearney finished with nine points and five rebounds.
Obanla added eight points and five boards.
Mykell Robinson scored 12 points for Dodge City.