Broncbusters Basketball Goes Cold Late in Home Loss to Otero

GARDEN CITY, KS. – Defense was the name of the game on Tuesday night.

For the second straight game, Garden City’s offense lacked a pulse in the closing stages, stunned as a winnable game turned into a nightmare final 10 minutes.

The No. 16 Garden City Broncbusters were defeated on Tuesday night, losing 64-49 to the Otero Rattlers at Conestoga Arena. Both teams shot under 40 percent from the floor, combining to miss 33 three-pointers in a low-scoring affair.

The Garden City defense was excellent in the first half, holding Otero (2-1) to just 26.5 percent from the floor. Freshman Isaiah Dixon recorded three blocks in the first half in his first career start.

Sophomore Braxton Jones got the Broncbusters offense going, scoring sis points on four shots in a two-minute span. Jones finished with eight points in the first half, as the Broncbusters took a 29-22 lead into the break.

The second half saw Garden City (1-2) go ice cold. The Broncbusters shot roughly 25 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes, watching their lead dimish from nine points, to a tie ballgame, to a seven-point deficit in the matter of 10 minutes.

Jones – who led Garden City with 16 points – hit a vital three with 7:24 to go in the game. Following that make, Garden City would score just six more points in the final 7:23. 

Otero’s Felipe Carter exploded for 12 points on 11 shots in the final 20, helping the Rattlers to their second consecutive win. The loss puts the Broncbusters under .500 for the first time in Rusty Elmore’s tenure.

The Broncbusters finish out their week on Thursday, as they welcome the Sterling College JV Warriors to Conestoga Arena. The American Implement pregame show begins at 7:10 P.M., with tip-off slated for 7:30.