No 13 Lady Busters End Season With Loss to Cowley County in Regon VI

Wichita, KS (www.westernkansasnews.com) – It started like it might be a rout for the Garden City women’s Basketball team in the Region VI semi-finals last Friday at Wichita facing Cowley County, but it ended in a 68-52 loss for the Lady Buseters and most likely ending their season. The Garden City women have been in the National rankings for most of the season and they entered the semi-finals at No 13 with their 29-3 record and the Lady Tigers at 28-4, this was billed as one of top match-ups in the tournament. The Lady Busters jumped out to an 8-0 lead based off of two treys and a duce by sophomore Tamara Jones, and then jumped out to an 11-1 lead before Cowley County would produce some offense and make it a close game. The Lady Tigers put on their full court zone press and increased their defensive pressure along with knocking down some shots to propel them back into the game. Garden City would maintain the lead in the first half with some additional scoring form sophomore Deni Jacobs and Tahlia Pope to help give the Lady Busters at 29-25 lead at intermission.

The 2nd half began much the same way as the first with the Garden City getting some early shots extending their lead out to six points on several occasions, but could not get an extended run going like they did early in the game. The continued to be very close with some lead changes and both teams responding defensively, but Garden City would go cold down the stretch. Late in the game Garden City sophomore point guard Mikell Chinn went down with an ankle injury and was not able to return to the game, it was from that point that the Lady Busters lost their intensity and some focus falling behind by 8 and eventually unable to respond to the Tigers offensive push and ended up losing the semi-final game 68-52. The Lady Busters only shot 31% from the field and 28.6% from three point range. The Lady Busters ended up with three players in double figures, led by Deni Jacobs with 16, Tamara Jones and Tahlia Pope dropped in 13 each.
The loss potentially ends the season for the Lady Busters at 29-4, however, there is still a chance, a very slim chance that the Garden City women would be extended an at large bid. The at large bids will be announced on Monday March 11th. Both Hutchinson teams won the Region VI titles last Saturday, as the Lady Blue Dragons beat Cowley County 70-46 and the Blue Dragon men handled Barton County 74-57 in their final.

This has been a great season for the Lady Busters setting some records for the most wins by a Garden City women’s team, the best record in their history and sophomore Tamara Jones became the all time leading scorer for Lady Busters Basketball with nearly 1100 points in her two years at Garden City.