Cloud County Athletics
DODGE CITY - Ending the first half by allowing an 8-0 run that would carry over and continue into a 16-3 run would put the number-21 nationally-ranked Cloud County Community College men's basketball team in a 13-point deficit that would end up holding for host and ninth-ranked Dodge City in an 82-80 road defeat inside the Student Activities Center in Dodge City on Monday.
Dropping a second-straight Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference road game by a single possession, the T-Birds fall to 10-4 overall and 6-2 in the KJCCC while Dodge City bounces back from their first conference loss this past Saturday to improve to 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the Jayhawk Conference.
A difference in offensive styles would be very apparent early on as CCCC would look to attack the paint while it would be DCCC who would rely on hitting outside shots from beyond the arc to see things tied up at 8-8 after four minutes of play. The first Dodge City lead of the night would come on a three-point play for the Conquistadors before reaching a margin of five at 14-9 with 13:48 left before halftime with nine of DCCC's 14 points coming from beyond the arc. Continuing to barrage Cloud County from outside, Dodge City would grow their lead to six before giving up back-to-back layups to Joe Kearney and Cheikh Sow as part of a 7-0 run by the T-Birds to reclaim the lead ta 20-19.
It wouldn't take long for the Conquistadors to reclaim the lead as 5-0 spurt would put DCCC back up four as Dodge City would grow their lead to seven at 33-26 on a made three with 5:27 left before halftime. Defense would then step up for the T-Birds to hold Dodge City scoreless over the next three-and-a-half minutes of action which would allow CCCC to score each of the next eight points capped off by a Corey Sawyer Jr. triple. Following made buckets from both squads, a turning point in the game would come with 1:38 remaining in the first half as a technical foul would be called on Cloud County leading to an 8-0 run to end the first half and turn a one-point T-Bird lead into a seven-point deficit.
Four quick points for Dodge City to open the second half would be part of a larger 8-2 run to see the Conquistadors go up 13 at 51-38 with 16:43 remaining as DCCC would start to take control. Despite the double-digit deficit, Cloud County would manage to cut the lead back to single-digits twice over the next three minutes of action and keep within striking distance at the mid-way point of the second half.
Repeated efforts from CCCC to take advantage of getting the deficit back under 10 would be thwarted by the Conquistadors as both Cloud County and Dodge City would match each other for a stretch of three-plus minutes of action to keep things at a 10-point deficit with just over five minutes remaining. A much-needed spark would come in the form of a Malang Athian triple to close within seven before getting a made Justin Graham layup to trail 73-68 with 4:42 remaining. Cloud County would continue to cut into the DCCC lead to get within three with just over a minute remaining to have a real hope of completing a road comeback.
Following a foul on the T-Birds that would see Dodge City split a pair of free throws, CCCC would get a massive offensive rebound and put back by Sow following a missed Sawyer Jr. three to get within two with just 41 seconds remaining. With pressure on the Conquistadors and Cloud County ensured of at least a chance at regaining possession before the clock ran out, DCCC would commit an unforced turnover by stepping on the end line trying to drive to the hoop to give the T-Birds the ball back with 26 seconds remaining.
Getting the ball across half court, Cloud County would use their final timeout to set up a potential game-tying or game-winning shot. Working the clock down under 10 seconds, the T-Birds would see time begin to become a factor with Kearney throwing up a deep three that would hit the back of the rim and fall into the hands of a Dodge City player with CCCC forced to foul. Another chance would be given to the T-Birds as another missed free throw by DCCC on the front end of a one-and-one would allow Sow to grab the rebound and get the ball into the hands of Kearney who would take two dribbles to half-court and throw up a desperation shot that would hit the backboard and rim out to end the game.
With both teams shooting over 40 percent from the floor, Cloud County would finish the game by hitting 30-of-71 (42.3 percent) of their field goal attempts and 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) of their free throws but connect on just 20.7 percent (six-of-29) of their three-point attempts. CCCC would outscore Dodge City 43-20 in points in the paint and commit just six turnovers in the contest but see the Conquistadors hit 40.9 percent (nine-of-22) shots from three and 31-of-65 (47.7 percent) of their shots from the field.
Four of Cloud County's five starters would account for 71 of the 80 points scored by the T-Birds with Kearney scoring a game-high 21 points and playing all 40 minutes of the game. Recording a second-straight double-double would be Graham with 16 points and 10 rebounds while both Athian and Sawyer Jr. would score 16 points each. Dodge City meanwhile would be led by a team-high 20 points from Jacobi Sebock off the bench and had five players in double-figures.
What's next?
The games will take place over three weeks apart, but Cloud County will be back on the road to take on a second-consecutive NJCAA top-10 opponent on their home court when they travel to Coffeyville for a battle of second-place teams in the KJCCC. Coffeyville had the KJCCC bye on Monday night and entered an extended holiday break with a 12-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in league play.