Trojans pull away from T-Birds, 83-70

COLBY — Finishing in the second half what they started late in the first, the 22nd-ranked Colby Community College Trojans pulled away to an 83-70 Jayhawk Conference victory over the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon.
Cloud County led Colby 29-21 when Savian Edwards knocked down a three-point shot with 7:19 to play in the first half.
The T-Birds were then outscored 14-4, and trailed Colby 35-33 at halftime.
Cloud County was down just 40-37 early in the second half when the Trojans went on a 16-4 run to open up a 56-41 advantage.
The T-Birds could get no closer than eight points over the final 12 minutes and dropped to 8-10 overall and 3-8 in conference play.
“We missed a couple of easy ones and they hit some tough shots and kind of ran away with it,” Cloud County coach Devin Kastrup said. “What it came down to is that our end we just didn’t have our best day energy. Just did not have a day.”
Colby, winning for the eighth time in nine home games, improved to 11-4 overall and 6-3 in the Jayhawk Conference.
“Colby, I think, is the best team we have seen this year. They are big, they are skilled, they are well coached, they play together, they play hard, they have got athleticism and they made tough, contested shots,” Kastrup said.
Cloud County fell behind Colby 9-3 in the opening three minutes of the game.
It was an 11-9 Trojan lead when Corey Sawyer Jr. and Nate Duckworth connected on back-to-back threes and Duckworth hit a short jumper to give Cloud County its first lead at 15-11.
The Trojans battled back to tie the game at 17-17.
Consecutive baskets by Joe Kearney and Justin Graham gave Cloud County a 21-17 advantage.
Ahmad Johnson scored for Colby, but a bucket by Edwards and a three-point play by Malang Athian put the T-Birds on top, 26-19.
A basket by Ahmad Gailmore made it 26-21.
Edwards then buried a three to give Cloud County its largest lead at 29-21.
‘”We were cutting hard and we were sharing the basketball,” Kastrup said of grabbing the lead.
Five straight points by Cortez Mosley pulled Colby within three points.
Mosley led all scorers with 25 points.
Nikola Milojevic scored to give the T-Birds a 31-26 cushion with 6:12 on the clock.
Cloud County would score just two more points in the first half.
A bucket by Mosley and five consecutive points by Tyrone Marshall Jr. gave Colby the lead at 33-31.
Duckworth hit two free throws to end a Cloud County scoring drought of nearly five minutes and tie the game at 33-33.
JJ White scored the final two points of the first half, and Colby led 35-33.
A three by Johnson 34 seconds into the second half upped the Trojans' lead to 38-33.
The two teams traded baskets and Graham scored inside to get Cloud County within three points, 40-37.
Mosley scored seven points during the 16-4 spurt that gave Colby the 56-41 advantage.
“He (Mosley) hit a step back. He hit a tough runner. Three straight contested shots to go on a 7-0 run by himself,” Kastrup said.
Cloud County, trailing 58-43, had Edwards and Kearney connect on threes during a 10-3 run that closed the gap to 61-53.
Mosley scored the next four points and Marshall hit a short jumper to give Colby a 67-43 lead.
The T-Birds could get no closer than 12 points over the final eight minutes.
Duckworth led the way for Cloud County with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Kearney finished with 14 points and Edwards added 10 off the bench.
The T-Birds were 28 of 62 from the field for 45 percent. They shot just nine free throws and made seven of them.
Allen Mukeba scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for a Colby team that had just seven players available.
White chipped in 15 points.
The Trojans shot 52 percent (30 of 58) from the floor and made 16 of 20 free throws.
Cloud County begins the second round of Jayhawk Conference play by hosting Northwest Kansas Technical College tonight and then plays at Hutchinson Community College on Wednesday night.