Garden City sweeps Coronado for the second time this season

Garden City, KS (Western Kansas News) – Garden City High School Basketball started the annual Clarion Inn Roundball Classic with dramatic wins last night, sweeping Coronado High School (Colorado Springs) for the second time in consecutive tournaments and in consecutive weeks.

Last Thursday, the Lady Buffs knocked off the Lady Cougars on their home court with a record setting 53-7 victory. It marked the third largest margin of victory in program history, and the fewest points allowed in program history. 2024 also marks 50 years of GCHS girls basketball. Last night, the Lady Buffs showed their tenacity again after taking a 30-2 lead into halftime. KJ Pinchon had a career night, scoring 21 points and shooting 2-for-2 from the free throw stripe. Garden City would go on to win the affair 54-11, narrowly missing a bid to reset their record, against the same Coronado squad, a week later.

On the boys basketball side of the action, a game that got out of hand in favor of the Buffs last week, to the tune of a 53-31 victory against Coronado on their home court, resulted in a thrilling affair that went to the wire in The Garden last night. Clutch free throw shooting by Dallas Rosales resulted in Garden City grasping tightly to a slim lead late in the 4th quarter, after the Buffs had built a 20-5 lead to start the game. Daniel Monarez scored 14 points and was 1-for-1 from the charity line and propelled Garden City to a last second 61-56 victory over the Cougars, who had cut the deficit to two points late in the game. Thomas Longa was 4-6 and Rosales shot an impressive 6-for-8 from the free-throw line, combining for 10-of-14 shooting, a number that helped solidify the Buffs in their victory. Coronado, despite late-game heroics, never led in the game.

Garden City will play Altus (Oklahoma) for the second installment of the Roundball Classic this evening. Tipoff for the girls squad begins at 6:30p with the boys slated for an 8:15p tip at Garden City High School. Radio coverage will be available live on 99.9 The Rock with streaming from the Southwest Kansas Sports Network.