Busters stand tall; Women bounce back
Audio Highlights: GCCC vs. Seminole State
Garden City, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-Rarely are college basketball games won in the first half. But on Saturday night at the Perryman Complex, the Busters pulled off a rare feat.
Trailing 19-10 10 minutes into the game, Head Coach Brady Trenkle called a much needed timeout. He stared at his entire team and told them to stop playing their opponent’s game; that they couldn’t play at that pace. His troops received the message well.
Jade Cathy scored 18 points, pulled down 14 rebounds leading three different Buster players in double figures as Garden City turned an early nine-point deficit into 76-71 win in day two of the 55th annual Thanksgiving Classic.
“They’re averaging 103 points per game and we held them to 71,” Trenkle said afterwards. The one thing I told our guys is that if you hold them in the 60’s or 70’s you’ll have a chance to win, and we did that.”
Not only did they hold the Trojans 30 points under their season average, their defense forced Seminole State into their worst shooting game of the season (36 percent).
After Trenkle’s timeout with his team down nine, Garden City (7-2) used an 8-0 to cut the deficit to one. The game would see saw back and forth over the next few minutes with Cathy providing most of the offensive spark-including a one-handed, sledgehammer jam that ignited the home crowd.
The surge pushed the Busters to a 36-34 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Garden City switched into ultimate lock down mode holding Seminole State to just 9-of-27 from the floor as the Busters used a 13-0 to take a 13-point lead with 13:40 to play.
But as they did on Friday against Colby, Seminole State crawled their way back in it. And after Delvonte Pierre’s three-point play, the Buster lead was only three.
Seminole State (10-1) then had a chance to tie the game late when Cathy missed the front end of a one-and-one. But the sophomore stole the ball from Jabil Durham, found Rueben King streaking up the floor for an easy bucket.
“These guys now can look back and see what they did to a very good team,” Trenkle said. “These kids care that’s the difference.”
Next up: Garden City travels to Lamar on Tuesday. Pregame 8:15 pm local time; 8:30 tip on AM 1030 KBUF and westernkansasnews.com/kbuf
Final Stats: GCCC vs. Seminole State
Women
Garden City 81, Lamar 72
Audio Highlights: GCCC vs. Lamar
It was an agonizing 24 hours for first-year Head Coach Nick Salazar. After all-he just watched his team blow another double-digit, second-half lead to New Mexico in a 62-60 loss on Friday.
But something made him feel better early the next day. Taking in the Thunderbirds next game with Seward County-he watched the Saints nearly squander a 27-point lead.
“In the end it’s a loss, but it goes to show you that team (New Mexico) is pretty gritty,” Salazar said.
Salazar made sure to take mental notes and he used it a nine-point, revenge victory over a Lamar team that had beaten them soundly in Colorado just 25 days earlier.
“This was a complete team effort,” Salazar said. “But the difference from this game to the first game against this team was definitely Shauqunna Collins.”
Collins scored 19 points, 11 of those coming in the second half. And despite 30 turnovers in the game, the sophomore was able to elude the Lopes full-court press most of the night.
With the win, the Busters improved to 4-7; Lamar is now 4-6.
Next up: Friday, December 6 vs. SW Christian College at Hutch-1:15 pm pregame; 1:30 tip ONLINE ONLY westernkansasnews.com
Final Stats: GCCC vs. Lamar
