Broncbusters Battle No. 2 Barton in Narrow Defeat

GREAT BEND, Kan. – Two of the top three offenses lived up to the billing Saturday. Both Garden City and Barton traded big blows late on in the game, hitting clutch shots back and forth.

Barton, a team who entered Saturday on a 16-game winning streak, just showed that little bit more.

Mozae Downing-Rivers’ game-winner with 2.3 seconds left handed the Garden City Broncbusters a heartbreaking defeat, 70-68. Garden City’s last-second heave from Brody Robinson struck the right of the rim at the buzzer.

Barton marked its first 17-game winning streak since the 1999-2000 season. Garden City had gotten the game tied at 7.5 seconds with a Robinson trey.

The first half saw both teams do what they do best offensively. Barton went to the well early, Garden City made it work from beyond the arch.

Garden City jumped out to a 10-point advantage in the first half. Guard Elijah Roberts nailed a three-pointer, one of five for the Broncbusters.

Barton (26-1, 20-1 KJCCC) got it going down low, getting 16 of their first-half 30 points in the paint. Myles Thompson sparked the Cougar offense early, recording a nine-point first half.

Garden City (17-11, 13-9 KJCCC) took the lead with efficiency at the free throw line. GCCC shot 11-of-14 in the first half, with Braxton Jones and Thomas Tut combining for nine free throw makes.

Tut excelled in the first half, scoring a team-high nine points.

Neither team led by more than nine in the ballgame. The Cougars dipped into the second half early with shots from Keandre Kindell and Lajae Jones help jumpstart Barton in front.

The late stages saw Garden City hit some key shots down low. And-ones from Tut, Jordan Frazier, and Charles Chukwu brought the game within one possession.

Frazier was phenomenal, scoring 19 points. Frazier has now scored in double-figures 14 times this season.

Robinson would stun the Barton Gymnasium crowd with a three off a screen by Tut, but Barton had the answer at the other end. Downing-Rivers went alone, hitting a stone-cold game-winner over Chukwu, leaving the Broncbusters stunned.

Robinson’s game-tying three gave him 20 points, which led all scorers.

Garden City takes their bye game this week before welcoming in the Dodge City Conquistadors to open up in March. The Broncbusters’ broadcast is available on 99.9 ‘The Rock’, opening up at 1:40 P.M. for women’s basketball’s 2:00 tipoff.