Sharp shooting; Buffs trounce Tigers

Garden City, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-When you’re hot, you’re hot, and Jacy Holloway’s bunch is hot.

Tristan Nanniga scored a game-high 11 points; Caleb Tramp netted 10 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three emphatic dunks as Garden City stampeded past Ulysses 54-23 Tuesday night at the New Garden.

“Our shot selection is so much better,” Holloway said after the game. “We’ve done a better job in transition.”

And they had plenty of chances to run against the Tigers. After a slow start that saw the Buffs trailing 7-6 at the 1:17 mark of the first, Holloway called a timeout.

“We gave up two offensive rebound put backs in a row; that tells me we weren’t paying attention,” Holloway said. “I felt we needed to stop the bleeding.”

Well whatever he said during that break, lit a fire under his team.

Luis Rodriguez’s jumper out of the timeout started the run. Then it was Hunter Delgado’s triple in the waning seconds of the opening frame that sent the Buffs into the second quarter with a four-point lead.

Then Tramp took over. First there was the emphatic rejection of Nathan Medina at the rim. The junior followed that up with the first of three dunks on the night; a spin move on the baseline in which tramp cocked back and threw down a vicious left-handed jam.

After a Ulysses (6-8) turnover, Nanninga found Tramp for an alley-oop. Then it was Delgado’s turn, using a stutter step to get to the basket–making it 11 straight Buff points.

Avery Nichols layup following a steal at half court finally ended a six-minute scoring drought for the Tigers. But Garden City (9-5, 2-2) wouldn’t let off the pedal-outscoring Ulysses 22-7 in the final eight minutes of the first half.

Not much changed coming out of the locker room. Mitchell Hernandez’s three on the opening possession of the third quarter signified no let up from Garden City on this night. It was the senior’s only field goal.

But the most impressive play of the game was yet to come. With five minutes to go in the third, Tramp found Rodriguez sweeping to the rim. The junior’s layup attempt didn’t go, but he watched as Tramp flew from the free throw line to the rim, grabbed it with two hands and rocked the rim with a put back slam. The jam, Tramp’s third of the night, sent a shock wave through the Garden.

Jared Koster scored eight points while Delgado and Akil Love each added seven. Medina Led the Tigers with nine points and four rebounds.

Next up: Garden City at Holcomb-Tuesday, February 4-8 p.m. tip on KWKR 99.9 FM and westernkansasnews.com

Final Stats: GCHS boys vs. Ulysses