Broncbusters WBB Earns Tight Victory Over NOC-Tonkawa

ENID, OK. – A win that Garden City truly had to earn. 

Garden City had to face a Lady Mavericks team that had already faced three separate Kansas Jayhawk Conference teams, with the Broncbusters down to just six eligible players.

More wins are coming for new head coach, Greg Franklin, if the Busters play the way they did today.

The Garden City Broncbusters got it done against the Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa Lady Mavericks at Mabee Center on Friday Night, winning 63-57. Garden City only trailed twice throughout the entire game, avoiding foul trouble throughout the final 10 minutes.

Garden City ran into foul trouble six days ago, forced to play with four players in their loss to New Mexico Junior College last Saturday. Today, with Opal Hardy out, GCCC had three players with four fouls in the fourth quarter.

They persevered, and played some great defense all game, to seal another non-conference win.

“We had to be really conservative and not foul toward the end,” Franklin said. “You still have to be aggressive, but be smart.”

The Broncbusters (3-1) got hot to open up the ballgame, leading 11-2 in the first quarter. The Lady Mavs came back into the game with five consecutive points from sophomore guard Maddy Wehrenberg, cutting the lead to 14-13.

Points off turnovers has been crucial for GCCC to open the season. Garden City scored half of their first half points on turnovers, scoring 16 points on 11 Lady Mavs (1-3) giveaways.

“We get into a game, and it can be trial and error,” Franklin said. “We’re getting to know each other really well. Our best basketball is in front of us.”

Stevi Yancy got things going in the second half, nailing two quick threes to stretch a 32-29 lead out to a six point lead to close the third. Yancy, the lone returner from Garden City’s 2022-23 roster, has now scored in double-figures three times in four games this season.

Freshman Sierra “C.C.” Driessen closed the game out down the stretch. Garden City’s point guard finished with 10 points in the fourth quarter, recording a career-high 22 points in the win.

Driessen hit a turnaround jumped with two seconds on the shot clock to seal the victory.

“It feels really good,” Driessen said. “Just playing with six players, I felt like we played decent today.”

The game marked the third time this season that Driessen had led Garden City in scoring, along with wins over Lamar and Otero.

“C.C.’s so quick and dynamic right now,” Franklin said. “I wanted to put it in her hands to ice it, she was hitting her free throws, too. That makes a big difference.”

Driessen went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, Garden City went 11-of-15. 

The Broncbusters close their Oklahoma excursion tomorrow against the NOC-Enid Jets. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 P.M.