Dropping their ninth game out of their last 11, the Cloud County Community College men’s basketball team fell to Dodge City at home in a heartbreaking 86-85 loss.
Finding themselves down early in the first half, the T-Birds refused to let the game get away, and took their first lead with eight minutes remaining in the half, 28-27.
Cloud would hold onto the lead for the rest of the half and the vast majority of the second half. The T-Birds would get the lead up to 14 points, before taking a 49-37 lead at halftime.
Three T-Birds found themselves with double-digit scoring in the first half: Elidjah Savane (14), Matthew Garber (12), and Syncere Burnette (10).
Dodge City would start to chip away at the lead in the second half, and even taking it, thanks to a three-point shot, taking a 52-50 lead. After back-to-back threes, Cloud took the lead back and got it up to 14 with 4:08 remaining for an 81-67 lead.
The Conquistadores proceeded to go on a 13-3 run to get the lead down to four, before a layup with 23 seconds remaining made it a two-point game, 84-82. An intentional foul by Dodge City sent Burnette to the line. After making the first one and putting the lead to three, Burnette missed the second in what would prove to be costly. The Conqs slowly went up the court and hit a three with eight seconds remaining, getting fouled in the process. Converting the four-point play and taking a one-point lead, a terrible shot by Cloud as time expired would solidify the loss.
Savane finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.
Burnette had 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Garber had 14 points and five rebounds.
Heading to southwest Kansas for a KJCCC matchup against Seward, Cloud fell to the Knights 76-66, thanks to a big Seward second half.
The struggling T-Birds found themselves in a tight match with the Knights, leading by five at halftime, 39-34.
Seward flipped the script in the second half, holding Cloud to only 27 points and scoring 42 in the half to pull away to a 10-point win.
This is Cloud’s third loss scoring 66 points, their second lowest point mark outside of the 65 points scored in a loss to Cowley on January 11.
Savane had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Burnette had 14 points and five assists.
Kuel Akot had 14 points.
Fallou Koite had 13 points and five rebounds.
Cloud had two points off the bench.
Cloud will host Fort Hays Tech Northwest Saturday, February 1.