INDEPENDENCE – A 60 percent first-half shooting performance by host Independence Community College would be too much to overcome for the Cloud County Community College men's basketball team in a 114-80 defeat in Independence, Kansas on Saturday.
With the loss, Cloud County falls to 8-14 overall and 2-11 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the host Pirates picked up their 17th win of the year to move to 17-5 overall and 8-4 in the Jayhawk Conference.
The T-Birds would connect on 40.7 percent (11-of-27) of their shots from the field in the first half including a five-of-10 (50.0 percent) mark from beyond the arc, but be blitzed by a 24-for-40 (60.0 percent) showing from Independence which included a 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) three-point shooting performance. For the game, CCCC would go 24-of-63 (38.1 percent) from the floor and hit 24-of-29 (82.8 percent) of their attempts from the charity stripe but be hurt by 17 turnovers while forcing just six by the Pirates.
Three players managed to reach double-figures for the T-Birds, led by 12 points each from guards Jay Lewis and DJ Sims. Akene Agee would also find his way into double figures, scoring 10 points in just over 13 minutes of action. Independence would have six players reach double-figures, including a game-high 33 points from Demetric Horton who would hit on nine threes. ICC would also hold a 47-42 rebounding advantage and record the only three blocks in the game.
What's next?
One game remains in the first go-around through the KJCCC East Division for Cloud County, concluding on Wednesday at 8 p.m. with a home game against Neosho County Community College. Neosho is 8-12 overall this year and 4-7 heading into a home game against Coffeyville Community College on Saturday night.