Late Run Not Enough in Loss to Busters

Jay Daubenberger

Liberal, Kansas – Seward County Lady Saints basketball was back in the Green House on Saturday to take on their biggest rival of the year in the Garden City Bronbusters where a rough scoring first half did SCCC in and they couldn’t recover despite a late push in the fourth as they fell to their Jayhawk rival 57-48 at home.

It was a low scoring five minutes in the opening quarter for both sides with the only bucket for the Lady Saints in the first few moments came from a mid-range jumper by Xoe Rosalez as Seward County entered the media timeout down 4-2. Garden City was able to lift the lid on the rim for themselves and push in front 11-4 after Ari Gordon slashed down the lane and found Allie Myers on the block for an easy two points to keep the Lady Saints in reach. Back-to-back offensive rebounds by Gordon and Myers led to a pair of baskets for the green and white to cut the Broncbusters lead to 14-8 after the first ten minutes.

Rosalez helped Seward County cut the deficit down to four in the first few minutes of the second quarter as she hauled in a rebound to go coast to coast for a layup that put the score at 16-12 Garden City. Rosalez showed off her passing ability moments later, threading the needle to Sanaa Dennis on the block who finishes through contact to lock the score up 16-16 off an 8-2 run by SCCC before wrapping up the first half with a five-point deficit 23-18 to the Broncbusters.

The scoring drought continued for Seward County in the third quarter as Garden City opened the second half with an 8-0 run to push ahead of the Lady Saints 31-18 through the first five minutes of the quarter. Kezia Grant-Bobb bully balled her way down into the paint for a big score to to put SCCC on the board in the second half 31-20 and a perfectly passed pass from Kayla Peoples to Alianna Colon down low allowed the sophomore forward to dominate her defender for two to cut it back to eleven 33-22. Another late run in the third by the Broncbusters put Seward County behind 41-24 entering the fourth and final quarter of action.

It was a quiet first couple of quarters for the Lady Saints’ leading scorer Jamia Carter who made her way past the Garden City defense to the bucket for a layup and start a scoring run for Seward County. Rosalez intercepts an inbound pass by the Broncbusters that leads another Lady Saints score and close the gap further 49-32 while Myers converts a pair at the line plus a floater moments later to bring the score back to within single digits 53-44. A big fourth quarter run to outscore their conference rival 24-16 was able to keep the score respectable but was not enough to take down Garden City who grabbed the win 57-48.

Rosalez led Seward County in scoring with 11 points while Gordon and Myers each chipped in 10 with Myers also hauling in 13 rebounds for a double-double.

The Lady Saints now fall to 14-11 overall on the 2023-24 season with a conference record of 10-9 in the Jayhawk with five games remaining in the regular season. Their next foe will be against the nationally ranked Conquistadors of Dodge City on the road as Seward County makes the hour and a half trip down the road for a big KJCCC matchup on Wednesday.  Tip off at 5:30 with Saints Shootaround at 5:15 on 107.5.