Saints Seven Squeak Out Win Over Dodge

In front of one of their largest crowds of the season on Homecoming Night in the Greenhouse, the Seward County Saints treated their home fans to a show, coming from behind late to knock off Dodge City 70-68 in a huge Jayhawk West Conference battle for playoff seeding.

After the SCCC crowned baseball player Grant Glaze King and volleyball player Thayna Silva Queen in their annual Homecoming ceremonies, the Saints came out shooting a little more like the joker early on, watching Dodge City grab an 8-2 lead in the first four minutes of the contest on their home floor. Seward recovered with a 6-2 run to climb back to within a pair, but a 12-2 Dodge march over the next 2:21 opened the Conquistador lead up to 20-10 midway through the first half. A nice move on the inside by Evan Allen followed by five straight points from Kevin Sims drew Seward back to within three, but another Dodge City run opened their lead back up to nine at 33-24 in the waning minutes of the first half. The Saints closed strong though and got three pointers from Mitchell Packard and Sims to keep themselves in the game and at the half Seward trailed just 37-32 despite the Conqs shooting 56% from the field.

The Saints had no first half answer for the Dodge City inside game as Seward lined up their tallest player, 6’5 Secean Johnson up against Dodge City’s 7’1 Payton Pervier without much luck. The Conqs shot 56% from the field, but Seward remained in the game with four first half three pointers and 43% shooting of their own.

Seward stormed out of the break at half, scoring the first eight points in just 2:30 on a pair of threes from Derek Dorn and a bucket on the inside by Johnson to quickly turn the tides and give themselves a 40-37 lead. The game went back and forth from there until it looked like the Saints were taking some control of the contest as a three from Sims and a free throw from Packard had them with their largest lead of the game at 56-50 with 7:46 to go. But just as soon as things looked like they were swinging the Saints way, a 7-0 Dodge City burst had the Conqs back in front 57-56. It was a one point lead in favor of Seward with just under a minute to go when Darius Polley drove to the bucket and finished through contact to put the Saints up by three, 68-65 with 22 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Dodge City possession, the Conqs orchestrated a perfectly designed play to get sharpshooter Brett O’Neil open and with ice in his veins he drilled the three, his only shot attempt of the night, to tie the game at 68. The Saints raced the ball back the other way and Tyreke Sharp drove to the basket and was hammered to the floor with 10 seconds to go, earning himself a pair of free throws with the score tied and the game on the line. Sharp rolled his first try through the hoop and hit the second after a Seward timeout to put the Saints on top 70-68. Dodge City worked quickly through their offense on the other end, but the Saints defense stayed rock solid and a last second desperation three was all the Conqs could muster, missing its mark to give Seward the 70-68 victory.

After watching Dodge shoot 56% in the first 20 minutes, the Saints locked the Conqs down to 38% shooting in the second half. Seward shot 43% in the game from the field, but outscored Dodge City 24-9 at the three point line to hang on for the two point win. Sims led the Saints with a game high 25 points while four other Saints score 8 or more in the victory. Dressing just seven players for the game, Seward came one Tyreke Sharp foul from having to finish the game with just four players.

Seward picks up a big Jayhawk West win to improve to 14-12 overall and 7-6 in conference play, putting them in 5th place at nights end. Dodge City drops back to 16-12 overall and 6-8 in league action where they are now in 6th, a game and a half back from Seward.

The Saints will take the court once again on Wednesday as they make the short trip up Highway 83 to Garden City where they will take on the Broncbusters in yet another key game for playoff positioning in an early start at 7:30 in the Perryman Center.

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Roy Allen