Second Half Woes Prove Too Much for Broncbusters Against No. 9 Barton

GARDEN CITY, KS. – The first four minutes and last four minutes can impact so much in a college basketball game. Neither one was good enough against a Top 10 opponent for the Garden City Broncbusters.

The Broncbusters’ four-game winning streak ended on Wednesday night, losing 86-78 against the No. 9 Barton Cougars at Conestoga Arena. Garden City drops to 0-3 this season against ranked opponents, yet have lost all three games by single digits.

“They kicked our butt the last 15 minutes of that game,” second-year head coach Rusty Elmore said. “We couldn’t do [anything] offensively, they guarded the heck out of us defensively.”

The start was a nightmare for Elmore’s unit. Barton opened the game on a 14-0 run, starting five-of-seven from the floor whilst holding Garden City to one make in their first nine shots.

Guard Elijah Roberts brought Garden City (10-6, 6-4 KJCCC) back into the game, scoring eight of 10 Broncbusters points. The Broncbusters consistently got to the line in the first half, getting nine of their 12 first free throws to fall.

NJCAA Player of the Week Brody Robinson sparked the Broncbusters from there, delivering 17 points and six rebounds in the first 20, including a setup to Braxton Jones for a three-pointer to put GCCC in front with 5:07 to go in the first half.

Robinson finished with a game-high 26 points, adding 11 assists. Wednesday marked the fifth straight double-double for the sophomore point guard.

The Broncbusters led 45-41 at the break, but could never build on it in the second half. Barton (14-1, 8-1 KJCCC) stuffed the Garden City attack in to start the second half, regaining their lead for good at the 16:08 mark.

“We had chances, that’s why they’re [14-1] and we’re 10-6,” Elmore said. “We dug ourselves into a hole, we got up by six, but that was about the highlight of our night.”

Forward Myles Thompson was the key for the Cougars, delivering 21 points, making half of his shots from the floor. His late offensive rebounds proved too much for Garden City to overcome.

“[Thompson] basically used us like a rag towel tonight, we had no answer for him,” Elmore said.

The last six minutes saw Barton out-score Garden City, 17-13. A rough spell of three straight empty possessions proved too much late, unable to hold the Cougars defensively.

Three different Cougars finished in double-figures, with guards Ring Malith and Keandre Kindell combining for 37 points. Garden City had four players record ten or more points.

Garden City will be on the road for its next three, starting next Wednesday against Dodge City. Coverage on 99.9 ‘The Rock’ will begin following the conclusion of women’s basketball’s tip-off.

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