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Broncbuster basketball loses yet another close conference game
Published 1/28/2010 in Sports
By MIKE KESSINGER
mkessinger@gctelegram.com
LIBERAL -- The focus isn't on the Jayhawk Conference Western Division title for the Garden City Community College men's basketball team. It's more on just getting better, and doing it in a hurry.
After Wednesday's 78-73 setback to Seward County at The Green House, the Broncbusters know there's not a lot of time left. But still, there is time.
"We just need to listen to what coach has to say," GCCC freshman Avery Jirmnson said. "As he says, we'll be more effective, so all we got to do is listen to coach."
Matched up against No. 22 Seward County (17-4, 6-1), who is tied for the conference lead with Hutchinson, the Broncbusters started strong. Much of it due to Jirmnson's effort. The 6-foot guard had his coming out party of sorts.
After missing a month of game action with a broken foot, Jirmnson returned to the lineup Jan. 16. Not much of a scoring threat before or until Wednesday, Jirmnson dopped in a team-high 18 points against the Saints. He hit two of his three first half treys in the opening six minutes. His second 3-pointer was followed by one from Vince Banks to put GCCC up 11-8. Then Jirmnson proved he's not afraid to play around the goal as he scored a putback that gave GCCC a 17-11 lead.
"Avery did some good things and he did some things that weren't good," GCCC coach Kris Baumann said. "His maturity -- he's got to grow up."
Though he did struggle at times Wednesday -- he air-balled an uncontested 3-pointer early in the secnd half -- he was the Busters most consistent scoring threat. He finished 7-of-15 from the floor, compared to 4-of-18 from Chris McHenry and 3-of-10 by Vince Banks.
The Busters had the game tied at halftime when Banks laid a bounce pass down the middle of the lane to Martel Jackson who connected on a short jumper with six seconds left before the break. In the second half, though, the Saints pulled ahead by 11 at the mid-point. The Seward County advantage grew to 59-44.
"We're just not ready to beat (Seward County)," Baumann said. "They're just a lot tougher than we are right now. We played with them for a half, and I really thought it shouldn't have been tied. As many times as we got them to turn it over I thought we should at least been ahead by more points (at halftime)."
GCCC (10-11, 1-6) chipped away at the Saints lead. The Busters were able to pull within five with 32.9 seconds left as McHenry knocked down five of six free throws after he had been fouled on a pair of 3-point attempts. The Saints wouldn't allow it to get within four as Robert Sigala hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds to go, putting the game out of reach.
Along with Jirmnson, McHenry and Banks scored in double-figures for the Busters. McHenry had 17 points and Banks tallied 13.
The Saints were led by 6-foot-2 freshman guard Marky Nolen. He burned the Busters for 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 11-of-14 free throws. Latiq Agard scored 19 and Jon Tassin added 14 for Seward County. GCCC held leading scorer Tony Smith to just seven points.
"They share the ball a lot better than we do," Baumann said of the Saints. "(Nolen) goes for 25 points and 12 rebounds. He's a stud. He goes for 25 and 12 and my three big guys go for 13 points and eight rebounds. That's my front line, my three big guys. That kind of tells you where we're deficient at."
The Busters will be home Saturday at Perryman Athletic Complex against Dodge City. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. The match-up against the Conquistadors will be the final game of the first half of the conference schedule for GCCC.
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Seward County 78, GCCC 73
GARDEN CITY (10-11, 1-6) -- Burley 2-3 0-2 4, Jackson 2-3 0-0 4, McHenry 4-18 6-6 17, Wesley 3-6 2-2 9, Jirmnson 7-15 0-3 18, Morales 0-0 0-0 0, Grinnin 1-2 3-4 5, Brown 1-2 0-0 3, Banks 3-10 6-10 13, Phillips 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-60 17-27 73.
SEWARD COUNTY (17-4, 6-1) -- James 3-5 3-5 9, Tassin 5-13 2-2 14, Moore 0-1 0-0 0, Nolen 7-11 11-14 25, Smith 2-6 1-2 7, Sigala 1-2 2-4 4, Thaw 0-0 0-0 0, Chancey 0-0 0-0 0, Agard 7-12 5-7 19. Totals -- 25-50 24-34 78.
Halftime -- 30-30. 3-point goals -- GCCC 10-38 (Jirmnson 4-11, McHenry 3-16, Banks 1-6, Wesley 1-3, Brown 1-2); SCCC 4-14 (Tassin 2-6, Smith 2-6, Moore 0-1, Sigala 0-1). Rebounds -- GCCC 32 (Jirmnson 7); SCCC 45 (Nolen 12). Assists -- GCCC 6 (Banks 3); SCCC 14 (Smith 5). Blocks -- GCCC 2 (Burley, Griffin 1); SCCC 1 (James 1). Steals -- GCCC 11 (Jirmnson 3); SCCC 7 (Smith 3). Fouled out -- GCCC, McHenry; SCCC, Tassin, Nolen. Team fouls -- GCCC 27, SCCC 21. Turnovers -- GCCC 17, SCCC 22.
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