Perseverance: Busters hold on to beat Colby
Final Men’s Highlights: GCCC vs. Colby
Colby, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-An ugly win is better than a loss. And while that might be the most overused cliche in sports, it was never more apparent then on a chilly night in Colby.
Jeremy Wilson scored 16 points; D’Shon Taylor added 15, including a critical put back on his own miss down the stretch as Garden City handed Colby their 10th straight defeat with a 62-55 win Saturday night at the Community Building.
“This was a hard flip to get ready for Colby,” Busters Head Coach Brady Trenkle said after the game. “I’m very happy with the win. We didn’t play well, but we guarded.”
That was an understatement as Garden City (18-6, 4-4) held the Trojans (9-16, 0-9) to just 28 percent shooting; their worst outing of the season. But despite the solid defensive performance, Colby withstood every blow the Busters delivered.
Early in the first half it was a Branden Williams tray from the short corner that sparked a 5-0 run and tied the game at 15 with 12:39 to play until half time. Williams wasn’t finished.
The sophomore from Orlando, Fla, who splashed in 14 points and five rebounds off the bench, answered Rueben King’s third 3-pointer of the first half with a rim-rocking, left-handed flush that brought the Community Building to their feet and pulled the Trojans within one. But Colby still trailed by five at the half.
Garden City’s lead swelled to 12 at 39-27, thanks to Wilson’s layup, where the sophomore switched hands in mid air and softly kissed it off the glass-capping a 7-0 Buster run to begin the second half. Wilson notched his 13th double figure scoring game of the year.
But Colby wasn’t finished, and it was sophomore post Jeremiah Ingram, who’s already signed to play at San Jose State, who kept the Trojans in the game.
Ingram brought the home crowd to their feet with a vicious jam-where he curled around John Bell; took off from just underneath the foul line-cocked back and torched the rim with a right-handed dunk. The student section erupted as the man, who came in averaging close to a double-double, pulled Colby to within five at 48-43 with under nine minutes remaining.
After Jade Cathy missed a layup, Ingram grabbed the rebound and came stampeding into the front court. But the Trojans leading scorer was out of control and called for his fourth personal foul. He would park it on the bench for the next five minutes.
Meantime his team kept punching. Ramon Johnson’s free throw with 5:25 to play, cut the deficit to two 50-48.
But it was Taylor’s heads up play with under two minutes remaining that helped seal a massive road victory. First the sophomore took the ball away from Johnson in the post. Then in transition, he received a perfect pass from Jalen Variste, laid the ball in and was fouled. He missed the ensuing free throw, but grabbed his own rebound in front of three white shirts, went right back up at Johnson and banked it home-giving Garden City a 58-50 advantage with 1:29 left.
“He’s (Taylor’s) back now,” Trenkle said. “He sprained one ankle; then sprained his other one. But he’s back healthy now and he took advantage of the opportunity.”
Colby still had their chances in the final 30 seconds thanks to two missed free throws by King. The Busters finished 14-of-25 from the stripe.
Down two, with an opportunity to tie or take the lead, Ingram turned it over and watched Garden City ice the game at the line.
“We got this one out of the way; now we can focus on Hutch,” Trenkle said.
March Madness always begins early in the Jayhawk Conference.
Next up: Garden City vs. Hutch-Monday, February 10-7:30 p.m. on AM 1030 KBUF and westernkansasnews.com
Final Stats: GCCC men vs. Colby
Notes: Listen to the game in its entirety in our game archives.
Garden City women 63, Colby 47
Final Highlights: GCCC vs. Colby
Waiting to play after a loss is as painful as anything in sports. So when Wednesday’s game with Hutch was postponed because of snow, the fear of rust settled in.
And though the rust was apparent on Saturday night, it didn’t affect the outcome as the Busters built a big cushion and cruised to a 16-point win at the Community Building.
“Offensively we played well,” Head Coach Nick Salazar said. “But we turned it over way too many times and didn’t finish our shots.”
24 giveaways to be exact in a game that was never really close.
Loysha Morris scored 12 points while Tori Spann added 10 to pace the Busters (13-10, 5-3). But the bigger concern for Garden City heading into Monday’s showdown with Hutch may very well be the health of post Sandra Davis.
Near the end of the first half, Davis appeared to roll her ankle on an attack to the rim. After hitting her free throws, she asked out of the game. Davis never returned. Her status for Monday is questionable.
But even with one of their stars hobbled, the Busters coasted, thanks to a notable effort from Salazar’s reserves. The bench scored 35 points led by Spann and Monica Veleta, who scored a season-high eight points including a monster triple before the half-giving the Busters a 35-30 advantage. Garden City’s second team outscored Colby’s by 17.
The Busters built the lead up to as many as 26 in the second half only to see the Lady Trojans cut it to 15-thanks in large part to 13 offensive rebounds. Garden City was still plus two on the glass.
Dee Dee Williams recorded her first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Lady Trojans. Sierra Green added 16 off the bench.
The loss dropped the Trojans to 2-23 overall and 0-9 in the Jayhawk West.
Next up: Garden City vs. Hutchinson-Monday, February 10-5:30 p.m. on AM 1030 KBUF and westernkansasnews.com
Final Stats: GCCC women vs. Colby
