Slow Start Sinks Saints at Cowley

Jay Daubenberger

Seward County entered Arkansas City, Kansas with revenge on their mind as they went head-to-head with one of the top teams in the country in the #12 Cowley Tigers where the Saints were unable to stop Cowley from taking over the game in the opening seconds as Seward County fell 91-68 against their Jayhawk conference foe.

SCCC was unable to lift the lid off the rim as the Tigers shot out in front with a quick 9-0 run to open the first half until Jaden Martin entered in off the bench and was able to draw a foul to score the first points of the game for Seward County at the free throw line to put the score at 9-2. Amir Whitlock scored the first field goal of the night for the Saints when he slashed his way down the lane and pump faked his defender to score an easy two points to put the score at 18-4 with Cowley pulling farther away by the second as they quickly sunk the Saints down to a 32-10 deficit. Carson Bennett was finally able to connect from long range for SCCC to help chip away at the Tigers immense lead and a single free throw from Ryle Riddlespurger put Seward County at the twenty-point mark heading into the halftime break down 49-20.

Only able to make 16% of their shot attempts in the first half, the Saints were able to improve their scoring in the second as Blessin Kimble forced his way down low for a score and Whitlcok cashed in a three of his own for a quick five points that put the score at 57-28. Lovasoa Andriatsarafara used his seven-foot frame to haul in an offensive rebound for a putback that helped the Saints continue to trim away at a large Cowley lead and Dave Olaniyi crossed over his defender to head straight down the lane for an up-and-under layup to put it at 79-51. Bennett was able to sink in his second three of the night to put SCCC over the sixty-point mark and Riddlespurger first three of the game was the final score the Saints would get as they fell to the nationally ranked Tigers 91-68 on the road.

Martin led Seward County with 17 points including a perfect 9/9 from the free throw line while Kimble added on a near double-double of 14 points and 9 rebounds with Olaniyi chipping in 10 points of his own.

The Saints now fall to 6-14 overall in the 2023-24 season while also falling to a 4-10 record in the Jayhawk conference. They will return home to the Green House to take on the nationally ranked Grizzlies of Butler on Wednesday with tip-off scheduled for 8:00 PM on 107.5.  Bank of Beaver is the buyout sponsor.