Thunderbirds’ season ends with 65-52 loss to Cougars

GREAT BEND — Outscored 21-6 over the final 8:05 of the game, the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds had their season come to an end with a 65-52 loss to Barton Community College in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament Wednesday night.
Cloud County, seeded 11th in the tournament, took a 46-45 lead on sixth-seeded Barton when Jacy Dalinghaus scored with 8:05 to play in the game.
Barton scored 10 straight points to go on top to stay, 55-46.
A basket by Haven Hamilton ended the run by the Cougars and made it a 55-48 game with 5:16 remaining.
Scoring six points in just over a minute, Barton extended the lead to 61-48.
Alyssa Castilleja hit a jumper, and the T-Birds were down 61-50.
Cloud County would manage just a basket by Hamilton over the final 3:50 as the Cougars pulled away for the win.
The T-Birds finished up their season 9-22.
In the other first-round games played Wednesday night, Coffeyville Community College defeated Garden City Community College 79-65, Colby Community College slipped past Independence Community College 66-63 in overtime, Neosho County Community College downed Pratt Community College 84-64, Seward County Community College thumped Allen County Community College 113-58 and Cowley College outscored Dodge City Community College, 100-95.
Barton (16-15) will play Coffeyville in the quarterfinals of the tournament Saturday at the Untied Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
Cloud County got out to a 5-0 lead against the Cougars, and led the entire first quarter.
A basket by Dalinghaus 29 seconds into the second period gave the T-Birds a 17-11 cushion.
Barton battled back to take a 24-22 lead on a layup by Vanessa Oduah with 4:01 to play in the first half.
A bucket by Dalinghaus and a three-point shot by Maeson Dewey gave Cloud County the lead back at 27-24.
The T-Birds were up 29-26 at halftime.
Lydia Ostenson knocked down a three-point shot 25 seconds into the second half to give Cloud County its biggest lead at 32-26.
Shonda Hunt scored five points during a 7-0 spurt that put Barton back on top, 33-32.
Neither team would score for more than three minutes before another basket by Hunt made it 35-32.
Jasmina Jones capped off an 8-3 run with a three-point basket that gave the T-Birds a 40-38 advantage.
The Cougars scored the next seven points to go up 45-40.
A jumper by Dewey left Cloud County trailing 45-42 heading into the fourth quarter.
Kelsie Kelly and Dalinghaus scored in the first 1:10 of the final period to give the T-Birds their final lead at 46-45.
Cloud County would then be limited to six points over the final 8:50.
Dalinghaus came off the bench to score 13 points for the T-Birds. She also pulled down eight rebounds.
Ostenson finished with 11 points.
The T-Birds hit 27 of 59 field goal attempts for 37 percent. They shot just three free throws in the game, and made all three.
Oduah led four Barton players in double figures with 21 points.
Tiffany Dortland scored 13 points. Hunt and Queen Ulabo added 12 points each.
The Cougars were 21 of 52 from the field for 40 percent and 20 of 26 from the line for 77 percent.