Broncbuster Women fall to New Mexico JC

LaJunta, Colo. (westernkansasnews.com)–For the first 35 minutes, it was a ballgame. The game saw 10 lead changes and three ties. Unfortunately for the Lady Busters, foul trouble and a small bench would catch up to them in an 81-59 loss to No. 5 ranked New Mexico JC Saturday afternoon on the final day of the Otero Classic inside McDivitt Center.

The Lady Thunderbirds jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the opening couple of minutes, but the Broncbuster defense would get them back into thee game, as they used an 11-3 run to lead 13-12 with a little over four mintutes left in the opening quarter. New Mexico JC took a 22-17 lead early in the second quarter, when Garden City bounced back. Trailing 32-29 at the four-minute mark of the second period, the Lady Busters scored the final eight points of the half to take a 37-32 halftime lead.

In the third qurater, GCCC led by seven at 39-32, before a Lady T-Bird run of 11-2 put them up 43-41 midway through the third. It was tied at 44 with four minutes left in the third stanza, when the Lady Busters scored eight consecutive, six of those at the foul line, to lead 52-44 with 2:16 left in the third. New Mexico JC scored the final seven points to pull to within 52-51 to head into the fourth quarter. 

Garden City (2-1) scored the first points of the final frame to lead 56-51, a minute into the fourth quarter. That’s when the Lady Thunderbirds went on a tear. They limited the Lady Busters to three points in the final five minutes of the game, while going on a 30-3 run in the final 8:33 to take the game 81-59. Three Garden City players fouled out, leaving them with just four players in the final 1:01 of the game.

Pania Davis led New Mexico JC (2-0) with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Amyah Sutton had 16, Nuria Estrade 15 and Cacia Antonio finished with 14 points, as the Lady Thunderbirds shot 46 percent for the game at 29-62. They were 18-23 at the charity line, and committed 31 turnovers. 

Leading Garden City was Ana Ramos Pires, who finished with 14 points, before she fouled out with 5:48 left, while Antonicia Moultrie had 12 points and Stevi Yanci also had 12 points. Yanci fouldd out at around the 4:27 mark of the game, and Sierra Driessen fouled out with 1:01 left. The Lady Busters shot 38 percent for the game at 22-58, and were 12-18 at the foul line. They finished with 30 turnovers. 

New Mexico JC outrebouned Garden City 45-30.

Garden City will have a week off before they head to Enid to face Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa on Friday, November 10, and Northern Oklahoma-Enid on Saturday, January 11.