2024 Basketball Media Guide by gcccks6

MEDIA GUIDE 2024

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

STAFF DIRECTORY

mike.pilosof@gcccks.edu

Assistant to the Director of Athletics ashley.rutti@gcccks.edu

THE PERRYMAN ATHLETIC COMPLEX ATHLETIC FACILITIES

Originally called the physical education building, it was renamed the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex in 2005 after the longtime Athletic Director and legendary coach. Perryman died in April, 2018, leaving behind quite a legacy. The building originally opened in 1969.

During his near two decades of leadership, the football program won 75 percent of their games, winning six conference titles while qualifying for 13 bowl games including two National Championship tilts in 1997 and 2000. He retired in 2005 after 19 years.

In 1999, Perryman was inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame for a career that saw him win 400 games. He had coaching stops at South Plains, Northern Montana University and Dawson Community College.

THE BRONCBUSTER MURAL

In 2016, the Perryman Athletic Complex underwent a $565,000 renovation project. Part of that plan included an historical sports mural that features the history of Garden City Community College. Situated on the far right is former Broncbuster offensive lineman Phil Loadholt, who was a two-time, first-team All-American before he transferred to Oklahoma in 2006. He was taken in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

The original mural was designed by former Garden City graphic desiger Tiffany Heit. But the idea behind it belonged to assistant Athletic Director Colin Lamb. The production took two months before it debuted during the grand reopening of the Perryman Athletic Complex in March, 2016.

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2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

BRONCBUSTER STRENGTH

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM

The Perryman Athletic Complex houses a state-of-the art weight room. In 2015, Garden City became the first program in the Jayhawk Conference to hire a full-time strength and conditioning coach, bringing in Jason Zerbach. The impact was felt immediately.

Zerbach was an instrumental piece during Garden City’s 2016 National Championship run before he left in 2017. When Tom Minnick was hired in 2018, he brought in Josh Brewer to replace Zerbach. But he was hired away by Wyoming to be their Olympic Strength Coach. The program continues to be one of the strongest in the nation.

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

RADIO & STREAMING

BRONCBUSTER RADIO BROADCASTS

All Garden City radio broadcasts, home and away, with Kolby Van Camp calling the play-by-play, can be heard locally and exclusively in Garden City on 99.9 FM ESPN Radio. The station has been the flagship for the Broncbusters since 2015.

Garden City games can be heard on many different platforms. If you want to listen on your computer, you can log on to gobroncbusters.com, go to the basketball page and click on audio. You can also go directly to westernkansasnews.com/kwkr.

On your mobile device, you can download the free 99.9 ESPN app from the apple app store or Google play on Android. In addition, you can download the free TuneIn app and search for KWKR.

Kolby Van Camp

Play-by-Play

Game Broadcasts

All broadcasts of Broncbuster basketball begin 30 minutes prior to tipoff with the pregame show. The segment includes interviews with both coaches, players and a game recap from the week before. The post-game report follows with full-game highlights, coaches and player interviews as well as a full-game recap.

Game Archives

All basketball games are archived. To listen to any past games, you can log on to gobroncbusters.com, go to the basketball page and click on audio at the end of each broadcast. You can also go directly to westernkansasnews.com/gccc-sports-streaming. All archived audio broadcasts are commercial free and can be listened to on your computer or mobile device.

About the broadcasters

Kolby Van Camp begins his first season as the voice of Garden City athletics.

Born in 1999, Van Camp earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Music Composition and Music Education from Kansas State University in 2022, followed by a Master of Science degree in Mass Communications in 2024.

Currently, Van Camp serves as the sports director for Western Kansas Broadcast Center’s Garden City radio stations, where he is the voice of Garden City Community College and Garden City High School athletics. He also hosts the popular sports talk show, Training Camp with Kolby Van Camp, on 99.9 The Rock from 12-1pm every Monday through Friday.

Van Camp has spent his entire radio career to date in Kansas, calling games on 1150/106.7 KSAL in Salina and 106.1 KXKU in Lyons, was a producer and on-air talent for news, sports, and severe weather on 1350/93.3/93.7 News Radio KMAN, B104.7 KXBZ, and Sunny 102.5 KBLS in Manhattan, and was “The Voice of the Saints” on a self-produced internet radio station where he broadcasted 8-man basketball for his high school alma mater in Topeka.

During his time at Kansas State, Van Camp held a number of leadership positions at the student radio station, Wildcat 91.9 FM, and made a notable impact as an on-air talent and play-by-play commentator. Known for singing his signature “Touchdown Wildcats!”, a call that tied his skills as an opera singer and a sports broadcaster. Together, to date, he is the first operatic sports broadcaster in history. A multimedia piece done on his unique broadcasting style while at K-State earned a Heartland Student Television EMMY® Award in 2023. His leadership at Wildcat 91.9 contributed to the station’s national acclaim, including awards from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System where the station was named the 2023 best college radio station in the country. Van Camp was also recognized by the IBS as the best graduate advisor in the country in 2023 and 2024, and won over 15 different awards with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters student and professional awards. Van Camp also spent a semester as an assistant producer for Channel 8 KKSU-TV, the K-State student television station.

TUNE IN!

BRONCBUSTER VIDEO STREAMING

All basketball games are produced by Southwest Kansas Sports Network at gobroncbusters.com. Broncbuster Creative Director, Adam Shrimplin, begins his fourth year as the director of the new video streaming platform. The veteran creative, has spent more than a decade as a professional photographer, shooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and NASCAR. He has served as the Garden City Community College staff photographer for the previous five years. He is a graduate of Garden City Community College and has also worked as an adjunct professor for the school’s photography program.

GARDEN CITY, KANSAS

20 10.8 20

DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SPOKEN; ADDING TO THE CITY’S DIVERSITY

SQUARE MILES IS WHAT GC OCCUPIES IN SW KANSAS

SCHOOLS MAKE UP GC’S EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT

GARDEN CITY-HOME OF THE BRONCBUSTERS

Incorporated in 1883, Garden City occupies nearly 11 square miles in southwest Kansas and has a population of 31,000 people. Considered as the regional hub of western Kansas, Garden City’s economy is fueled by agriculture with several feedlots, fields and grain elevators throughout the county.

The region’s trade area has a population of more than 190,000 people. It’s home to Garden City Community College, the Lee Richardson Zoo, and one of the finest golf courses in the Sunflower State: Buffalo Dunes.

The original town site was laid out on the south half of section 18 by engineer Charles Van Trump. Charles Jesse Jones, later known as “Buffalo” Jones, arrived in Garden City for an antelope hunt in January, 1879. One of the streets by five-point on the west side of the city is named after him.

The main employers in Finney County are Tyson Fresh Meats, USD 457, St. Catherine Hospital, Garden City Community College, and

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

NOTABLE ALUMNI

SPORTS FIGURES

Dayton Moore (‘87) General Manager for the Kansas City Royals. He began his career in 1994 as a professional scout for the Atlanta Braves. Before that, he was a star baseball player for the Broncbusters in the mid 80’s; then graduated from George Mason University.

Brent Venables (‘90) Defensive Coordinator at the University of Clemson. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. He was an All-American at Garden City, recording 276 career tackles. Venables transferred to Kansas State where he earned all Big-Eight honors in 1992.

Keith Smart (‘86) Assistant coach with the New York Knicks. He was also the Head Coach for the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. At Garden City, Smart was the Jayhawk Player of the Year. He transferred to Indiana, where he’s remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987 National Championship Game vs. Syracuse.

Gene Keady (‘56) After playing for two years for the Broncbusters, Keady began his coaching career at Beloit High School in 1959. From there, he spent nearly a decade at Hutchinson before landing his first Division I job as an assistant at Arkansas in 1975. But his big break came in 1980 when he began a 20-year stint as Purdue’s Head Coach. He was named Big Ten Coach of the year seven times. Keady was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2001.

Darvis Patton (‘88) is a two-time U.S. Champion in the 200-meter dash. He won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. He is a threetime Olympian. After graduating from Garden City in 1988, Patton earned a scholarship to TCU.

Mark Fox (‘89) was born in Garden City in January of 1969. He graduated from Garden City High School, and then played two years at Garden City Community College. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Washington in 1991. Three years later, he joined the Kansas State staff. But it wasn’t until 2004 that he got his major break, landing the Head Coaching job at Nevada. There, he won 123 games over seven seasons, leading the Wolf Pack to five postseason appearances. In 2019, Fox was hired as the new Head Coach at California University.

Darrin Hancock (‘92) At Garden City, he was considered one of the top Junior College recruits in the nation. He was a Parade Magazine All-American and the 1991-1992 NJCAA Player of the Year. He transferred to the University of Kansas in 1992, and in 1993, played in the NCAA Final Four. He was taken in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He played for four different NBA teams (Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs).

Tyreek Hill (‘13) Hill was a two-sport athlete at Garden City, running track and playing football. After two seasons, he transferred to Oklahoma State, becoming one of the most electrifying return men in college football. But in 2014, he was dismissed from the program for off-the-field issues. In 2015, he landed at West Alabama, and after just one season there, declared for the NFL Draft. While many expected him to go undrafted, the Kansas City Chiefs surprised many, selecting him in the fifth round in 2016.

DAYTON MOORE BRENT VENABLES KEITH SMART

GENE KEADY

DARVIS PATTON

MARK FOX

DARRIN HANCOCK

TYREEK HILL

INDIVIDUAL

Most points scored in a game ............................................................................................................... 45-Dana Albright (1971-72)

Most points scored in a season ....................................................................................... 694-Virgil Vaughn (1982-83) 22.4 average

Most points scored in two seasons .....................................................1,180-Darrin Hancock (1990-1992) 60 games; 19.7 average

Most rebounds in a game .......................................................................................................... 24-Mo Diarra vs. Friends (11/5/99)

Most rebounds in a season ........................................................................ 328-Darrin Hancock (1991-92) 28 games; 11.7 average

Most rebounds in two seasons .................................................................. 626-Darrin Hancock (1990-92) 60 games; 10.4 average

Most field goals attempted in a game ......................................................................... 25-Torre Johnson vs. Dodge City (2/11/04) 25-Tone Hunter vs. Barton (11/17/21)

Most field goals made in a game .................................................................................. 15-Torre Johnson vs. Dodge City (2/11/04)

Most field goals attempted in a season .................................................. 550-Jerome Hubbard (1990-00) 32 games; 17.2 average

Most field goals made in a season..................................................................261-Torre Johnson (2003-04) 32 games; 8.1 average

Highest field goal percentage in a season ........................................................................ 61.7-Darrin Hancock (1991-92) 253-410

Most field goals attempted in two seasons........................................................ 934-Jerome Hubbard (1998-00) 65 games; 14.4 average

Highest field goal percentage in two seasons 59.3-Darrin Hancock (1990-92) 60 games; 467-787

Most free throws made in a game ................................................................................. 17-Tahlik Chavez vs. Dodge City (2/15/20)

Most free throws attempted in game ........................................................................... 19-Tahlik Chavez vs. Dodge City (2/15/20) ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 19-Denver Jones vs. Cowley (1/27/21)

Most free throws attempted in a season .................................................... 215-Darrin Hancock (1990-91) 32 games; 6.7 average

Most free throws made in a season ................................................................................. 135-Darrin Hancock (1990-91) 32 games

Most free throws in a game without a miss ................................................................ 14-14: Bennie Crawford vs. Lamar (2/26/63)

Best free throw percentage for a season .................................................................................... 92.1-Jaduhkiss Soto (2021) 58-63

Most free throws attempted in two seasons .................................................................. 395-Darrin Hancock (1990-92) 60 games

Most free throws made in two seasons ........................................................................... 249-Darrin Hancock (1990-92) 60 games

TEAM

Most points scored by GCCC in a game ..................................................................................................... 124 vs. New Mexico (11/11/89)

Most points scored by opponent in a game .......................................................................................................... 129 vs. Barton (2/1/20)

Fewest points scored by GCCC in a game ......................................................................................................... 20 vs. El Dorado (1/24/38)

Fewest points scored by an opponent in a game ......................................................................................... 18 vs. Trinidad State (1/9/39)

Most points scored by GCCC in a season.................................................................................... 2,911, 34 games, 85.6 average (1998-99)

Fewest points allowed by GCCC in a season .............................................................................. 2,265, 29 games, 78.1 average (1991-92)

Most points allowed by GCCC in a season ................................................................................. 2,695, 30 games, 89.8 average (1989-90)

Most rebounds in a game ........................................................................................................................... 73 vs. McPherson JV (11/1/96)

Most rebounds in a season ......................................................................................................... 1,371, 34 games, 40.3 average (1998-99)

Most assists in a game ...................................................................................................................................32 vs. Peterson AFB (11/1/19)

Most field goals attempted in a game ...................................................................................................................... 89 vs. Pratt (1/13/90)

Most field goals made in a game ..........................................................................................................................48 vs. Bethany (11/1/21)

Best field goal percentage in a game ............................................................................................................. 64 vs. Hutchinson (1/20/97)

Most field goals attempted in a season .......................................................................................................................... 1,058-1999-2000

Highest field goal percentage in a season ........................................................................................................... 49.8-1996-97, 996-2,000

Most free throws attempted in a game.............................................................................................................. 56 vs. Clarendon (1/7/83)

Most free throws made in a game ................................................................................ 35 vs. Barton (1/29/87) & Colorado NW (11/4/99)

Most free throws attempted in a season ............................................................................................................................... 935-1989-90

Most free throws made in a season ........................................................................................................................................ 637-1989-90

Highest free throw percentage in a season .................................................................................................................74.9-2021, 399-533

Fewest turnovers committed in a game ...................................................................................................................6 vs. Allen (11/29/89)

Most turnovers in a game ......................................................................................................................................... 36 vs. Barton (2/8/99)

Most turnovers in a season ..................................................................................................................................................... 686-1998-99

Most forced turnovers in a game .............................................................................................................. 38 vs. Northeastern (11/19/99)

Most forced turnovers in a season ..................................................................................................................................... 402-1999-2000

Most 3PA in a game ................................................................................................................................................. 40 vs. Barton (1/13/99)

Most 3s made in a game ...........................................................................................................................................17 vs. Colby (2/24/18) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17 vs. Seward (3/3/21)

Most 3s made in a season ..................................................................................................................................................... 231-(2019-20)

Best 3-point percentage for a season .................................................................................................................... 41.1-1991-92, 174-423

Best season in school history ...................................................................................................................................... 25-6 (1991-92) 83%

YEAR BY YEAR FINISH

YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDS

Years RecordConf Coach 2020-219-137-12ColeDewey 2019-209-223-18PatrickNee 2018-1913-138-13PatrickNee 2017-1821-1215-11BradyTrenkle 2016-1716-1512-14BradyTrenkle 2015-1618-149-10BradyTrenkle 2014-1517-146-10BradyTrenkle 2013-1422-98-6BradyTrenkle 2012-1311-203-13RandChappell 2011-1218-136-10KrisBaumann 2010-1121-119-7KrisBaumann 2009-1017-157-9KrisBaumann 2008-0925-139-7KrisBaumann 2007-0820-118-8KrisBaumann 2006-0710-219-7KrisBaumann 2005-0617-136-10BrianMarso 2004-0523-1013-3RyanSwanson 2003-0423-911-5RyanSwanson 2002-0316-155-11EarlDiddle 2001-0221-118-8JeremyCox 2000-0125-6JeremyCox 1999-0024-8JeremyCox 1998-9924-107-5JeremyCox 1997-9816-156-5BradBall 1996-9721-128-7KentDavidson 1995-9612-182-10KentDavidson 1994-9523-118-5KentDavidson 1993-9420-14KentDavidson 1992-938-220-12KentDavidson 1991-9225-68-4JimCarey 1990-9123-99-3JimCarey 1989-9022-8JimCarey 1988-8924-10JimCarey 1987-8823-77-5JimCarey 1986-8725-8JimCarey 1985-8615-134-8JimCarey 1984-8518-127-5JimCarey 1983-8416-144-8JimCarey 1982-8320-11JimCarey

1994-9523-118-5KentDavidson 1993-9420-14KentDavidson 1992-938-220-12KentDavidson 1991-9225-68-4JimCarey 1990-9123-99-3JimCarey 1989-9022-8JimCarey 1988-8924-10JimCarey 1987-8823-77-5JimCarey 1986-8725-8JimCarey 1985-8615-134-8JimCarey 1984-8518-127-5JimCarey 1983-8416-144-8JimCarey 1982-8320-11JimCarey

Years RecordConf Coach 1981-8217-115-7JimCarey 1980-8112-18MarkTaylor 1979-806-24MarkTaylor 1978-7923-8ForbesLapp 1977-7817-11DavidLindsay 1976-774-23DuaneChannell 1975-7614-116-6DuaneChannell 1974-7510-147-7DuaneChannell 1973-7410-136-8DuaneChannell 1972-7312-146-8DuaneChannell 1971-7213-126-8DuaneChannell 1970-7117-10DuaneChannell 1969-7010-155-5DuaneChannell 1968-697-170-10DuaneChannell 1967-687-16DaleMeadors 1966-678-152-8DaleMeadors 1965-661-240-11DaleMeadors 1964-657-17DaleMeadors 1963-6416-11DaleMeadors 1962-6313-12DaleMeadors 1961-6216-93-7DaleRoark 1960-6112-10DaleRoark 1959-6016-106-4DaleRoark 1958-5912-75-5DonTalley 1959-6016-106-4DonTalley 1958-5912-75-5DonTalley 1957-5810-133-7DonTalley 1956-5711-123-6DonTalley 1955-5614-115-6DonTalley 1954-5517-95-5DonTalley

INDIVIDUAL

Most points scored in a game .......................................................................................................................... 41-Pietra Gay (1994)

Most points scored in a season ...................................................................................................... 709-Jasmine Irving (2002-2003)

Best Season scoring average ................................................................................................................... 25.2-Pietra Gay (1993-94)

Most points scored in career ........................................................................................................ 1,183 -Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

Most rebounds in a game .............................................................................................................. 21-Briana Loadholt (2007-2008)

Highest rebound average in a season .................................................................................. 14.2-Sharniece Saunders (2006-2007)

Most field goals attempted in a game ................................................................................................... 29-Pietra Gay (1993-1994)

Most field goals made in a game .................................................................. 13-Pietra Gay (1993-94 & Chareka Terry (2002-2003)

Most field goals attempted in a season ......................................................................................... 542-Chareka Terry (2002-2003)

Most field goals made in a season.................................................................................................. 271-Chareka Terry (2002-2003)

Highest field goal percentage in a season ............................................................................ 55.6-Marisela Rodriguez (2009-2010)

Most field goals attempted in a career .............................................................................................872-Tamar Jones (2011-2013)

Most field goals made in a career .................................................................................................... 433-Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

Highest field goal percentage in a career ...................................................................................... 50%-Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

Most free throws made in a game .............................................................................................................. 17-Pietra Gay (1994-95)

Most free throws attempted in a season ...................................................................................... 240-Jasmine Irving (2002-2003)

Most free throws made in a season .............................................................................................. 179 -Jasmine Irving (2002-2003)

Highest free throw percentage in a season .................................................................................... 85%-Kelly Kramer (2001-2002)

Most free throws attempted in a career ......................................................................................... 351-Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

Most free throws made in a career .................................................................................................. 264-Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

Most 3s made in a game ....................................................................................................................... 10-Jolie Mantz (11/30/2024)

Most 3s made in a season .................................................................................................................. 85-Katie Novack (2008-2009)

Most 3s made in a career................................................................................................................ 164-Marci Johnson (1999-2001)

Most assists in a game ............................................................................................................................12-Caritas Henry (1994-95)

Best 3pt% in a season....................................................................................................................39.6%-Katie Novack (2008-2009)

Highest assist average in a season ....................................................................................................... 8.1-Caritas Henry (1994-95)

Most assists in a career ......................................................................................................................... 198-Krystle Jim (2001-2003)

Most steals in a game ............................................................................................................................. 10-Krystle Jim (2002-2003)

Most steals in a career ..................................................................................................................... 156-Chareka Terry (2001-2003)

Best free throw percentage in a career .......................................................................................... 75.2-Tamara Jones (2011-2013)

TEAM

Most points scored in a game .......................................................................................................... 128 vs. Sterling JV (2024-2025)

Most points allowed in a game .................................................................................................................. 112 vs. Cowley(12/7/09)

Fewest points scored in a game....................................................................................................... 29 vs. Hutchinson (2006-2007)

Fewest points allowed in a game ...................................................................................... 26 vs. Oklahoma Baptist JV (2012-2013)

Highest scoring average in a season .................................................................................................................... 77.2 (2002-2003)

Fewest points per game allowed in a season ...................................................................................................... 54.2 (2012-2013)

Most points allowed in a season ............................................................................................................................ 2,346 (1999-00)

Most rebounds in a game .........................................................................................................................68 vs. Lamar (2007-2008)

Highest rebound average in a season .................................................................................................................. 44.2 (2012-2013)

Most assists in a game ........................................................................ 29 vs. Southern Nazarene (2003-2004) and Bethel (12/4/19)

Most assists in a season ......................................................................................................................................... 595 (2002-2003)

Highest field goal percentage in a game .................................................................... 63.9% vs. Oklahoma Baptist JV (2012-2013)

Highest field goal percentage for a season ......................................................................................................... 41.6 (2012-2013)

Most field goals made in a season.......................................................................................................................1,047 (2002-2003)

Most free throws attempted in a game...................................................................................... 51 vs. Independence (2000-2001)

Most free throws made in a game ....................................................................................................... 35 vs. Coffeyville (12/11/19)

Most free throws attempted in a season .............................................................................................................. 929 (2002-2003)

Most free throws made in a season ....................................................................................................................... 627 (2002-2003)

Highest free throw percentage in a season ......................................................................................................... 69% (2004-2005)

Most 3s made in a season ...................................................................................................................................... 213 (2002-2003)

Most 3s made in one game ................................................................................................................... 14 vs. Midland (2012-2013)

TEAM CONTINUED

Highest 3-point percentage in a game .....................................................................................77.8-14-18vs.Seward(2008-2009) Highest 3-point percentage in a season .............................................................................................................. 35.1(2000-20010

Fewest

COACHING RECORDS

YEAR BY YEAR FINISH

YEAR RECORD CONF. COACH

2023-2417 - 1411 - 13Greg Franklin

2022-2311 - 216 - 18Antwain Scales

2021-2218 - 1213 - 11Antwain Scales

2020-211 - 231 - 20Antwain Scales

2019-2011 - 206 - 15 Omega Tandy/Mike Harding

2018-1914 - 179 - 12Charinee Mitchell

2017-1820 - 1216 - 10Charinee Mitchell

2016-1710 - 218 - 18 Nick Salazar

2014-1515 - 166 - 10 Nick Salazar

2013-1418 - 148 - 6 Nick Salazar

2012-1329 - 413 - 3 Alaura Sharp

2011-1221 - 1211 - 5 Alaura Sharp

2010-1116 - 156 - 10 Alaura Sharp

2009-1017 - 1512 - 4 Alaura Sharp

2008-0912 - 196 - 10 Jake Ripple

2007-0811 - 206 - 10 Jake Ripple

2006-071 - 280 - 16 Jake Ripple

2005-0612 - 195 - 11 Bobby Brasel

2004-0514 - 163 - 13 Bobby Brasel

2003-0414 - 165 - 11 Bobby Brasel

2002-0331 - 713 - 3 Bobby Brasel

2001-0218 - 136 - 10 Bobby Brasel

2000-0118 - 136 - 10 Bobby Brasel

1999-0012 - 19 - Bobby Brasel

1998-996 - 261 - 16 Ed Kozol

YEAR RECORD CONF. COACH

1997-9810 - 198 - 8 Ed Kozol

1996-9710 - 20 - Ed Kozol

1995-9615 - 14 - Ed Kozol

1994-9521 - 10 - Kevin Cook

1993-9411 - 18 - Kevin Cook

1992-937 - 181 - 11 Joe Lay

1991-9210 - 154 - 8 Joe Lay

1990-9121 - 9 - John Armstrong

1989-9026 - 6 - John Armstrong

1988-8917 - 87 - 4 Kim Price

1987-8817 - 8 - Kim Price

1986-873 - 190 - 12 Kim Price

1985-866 - 171 - 11 Wes Bartlett

1984-855 - 231 - 11 Wes Bartlett

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

ISAIAH TISDALE

INTERIM HEAD BASKETBALL COACH

THE TISDALE FILE

HOMETOWN: LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL: HENRY CLAY HIGH SCHOOL

JAKE LORABIA - 19TH PICK IN NBA DRAFT MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES FROM WAKE FOREST

ALONIS WILLIAMS - DETROIT PISTONS FROM WAKE FOREST

TYREE APPLEBY - WAKE FOREST AP ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JADEN SEYMOUR - EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY 2ND TEAM ALL-SOCON TOURNAMENT TEAM

QUIMARI PETERSON - EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY 1ST TEAM ALL-SOCON TOURNAMENT TEAM

Isaiah Tisdale was named Interim Head Coach on Sept. 27, 2024.

seasons. Tisdale was named to the All-NJCAA Tournament team in 2017 where he led Vincennes to the Elite Eight. @isaiahtisdale15

Tisdale, who was hired as the Associate Head

Jack Galazka begins his second season as an Assistant Coach for Garden City. During Galazka’s first season at Garden City, he contributed to the team’s success in achieving a 19-13 record, ith the reaching high #13 in played a standout Team the Year

JACK GALAZKA ASSISTANT

BASKETBALL COACH

specialized in player development, scouting, video analysis, and operational management. In his first season at Oakland, he helped lead the Golden Grizzlies to the Horizon League Championship game. During his tenure at Oakland, he played a pivotal role in the development of several standout players, including:

THE GALAZKA FILE

HOMETOWN: Macomb, Michigan

HIGH SCHOOL: Cardinal Mooney HS

COLLEGE: Oakland University

FAMILY: Parents:

All-KJCCC

All-KJCCC following he

• Jamal Cain, New Orleans Pelicans and 2022 Horizon League Player of the Year

• Trey Townsend, 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year

• Jalen Moore, 2021 NCAA National Assist Leader

COACHING HISTORY

GARDEN CITY CC: 2023-PRESENT ASSISTANT COACH

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY: 2020-2023

Player Development, Scouting & Video

PROMINENT PUPILS

JAMAL CAIN - NEW ORLEANS PELICANS AND 2022 HORIZON LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

TREY TOWNSEND - 2024 HORIZON LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JALEN MOORE - 2021 NCAA NATIONAL ASSIST LEADER

BRODY ROBINSON - 2024 NJCAA FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN AND KJCCC NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (UT - ARLINGTON)

BRAXTON JONES - SECOND TEAM ALL-KJCCC (UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA)

THOMAS TUT - SECOND TEAM ALL-KJCCC (SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA)

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

MIKE BRUNGARDT

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH

THE BRUNGARDT FILE

HOMETOWN: Denver, Colorado

HIGH SCHOOL: Garden City High School

COLLEGE: Central State University

FAMILY:

COACHING HISTORY

2023-PRESENT - GARDEN CITY CC Strength & Conditioning Coach

1994-2011 - SAN ANTONIO SPURS Strength & Conditioning Coach

1977-1986 - NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL Wrestling & Assistant Football Coach

PROMINENT PUPILS

DAVID ROBINSON - San Antonio Spurs

TIM DUNCAN - San Antonio Spurs

MANU GINOBILI - San Antonio Spurs

TONY PARKER - San Antonio Spurs

Mike Brungardt served as the head strength and conditioning coach of the San Antonio Spurs f rom 1994 - 2011. During his 17 year career with the Spurs, Brungardt was involved in 4 Spurs championships, and was responsible for the physical training of all players. Working close with Hall of Famers; David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker

In the summer of 2011 Brungardt was inducted into the USA Strength Coaches Hall Of Fame. He was also named the NBA Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2010-2011 season. In 2012 he received the C ollegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches A ssociation’s Legend In The Field award.

From 1977 – 1986 Brungardt was the head wrestling coach, assistant football coach, and teacher for 9 years at Northwest High School in Grand Island, NE. There he helped develop the

f irst weight training curriculum and taught the f irst high school weight training class in Nebraska, and one of the first in the U.S. During this time, Northwest won two state football championships, in 1981 and 1985, and was regarded as one of the top high school athletic programs in Nebraska.

From 2014 through 2016 Brungardt worked with tennis pro Victoria Azarenka.

Brungardt is a USA Weightlifting Certified Sports Coach, as well as a USA Weightlifting C ertified Advanced Sports Performance Coach, their highest certification. He is also USA Safe Sport certified

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

greg franklin

WOMEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH

THE FRANKLIN FILE

HOMETOWN: Central City, KY

HIGH SCHOOL: Central City High School

COLLEGE: Austin Peay State University

FAMILY: Wife: Alicia Franklin

Dogs: Lil Mom & Bossman

COACHING HISTORY

GARDEN CITY CC: 2023-PRESENT HEAD COACH

CHIPOLA COLLEGE: 2012-2022 HEAD COACH

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY: 2007-2011

ASSISTANT COACH

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: 1996-2006

HEAD COACH & ATHLETIC TRAINER

Greg Franklin begins his second season in Garden City.

Franklin comes to Garden City after spending 11 years as the Head Women’s Coach at Chipola College in Marianna, FL compiling a record of 258-74. He led the Indians to the 2015 NJCAA National Championship, won three Region VIII titles, and two Panhandle Conference crowns. In all, Franklin guided Chipola to the NJCAA National Tournament six times.

In 2015, Franklin was named the NJCAA Women’s Basketball coach of the year after guiding the Lady Indians to a 34-1 record and the program’s first National Championship.

Prior to Chipola, Franklin was an assistant women’s coach at Mississippi State for five years under Sharon Fanning, helping the Bulldogs reach the Sweet 16 in 2010. Before that, he spent time as both a Head Coach and Athletic Director at Southeastern Illinois, posting a 154-25 record while leading his team to a fourth-place finish at the 2006-07 National Tournament.

A native of Kentucky, Franklin earned his bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University where he played from 1989-1993. He was an All-Ohio Valley selection three times and finished with more than 1,000 career points. He moves to Garden City with his wife, Alicia.

Brad Zinn enters his second season as an assistant coach for Greg Franklin and the fourth season as Garden City Community College women’s program.

Zinn spent 2020-21 at Salem University as assistant women’s basketball coach before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. He was instrumental in recruiting for the 2021-22 season while also overseeing skills development. Prior to Salem, Zinn spent three seasons at Highland Community College (Kan.), where he served as recruiting coordinator and assistant women’s basketball coach. During his time, Highland compiled an 80-10 record with a national thirdplace finish in the NJCAA Tournament.

The Scotties made two NJCAA Region 6 Championship appearances and had five NJCAA All-Americans, five NJCAA Academic All-Americans, two NJCAA All-Tournament selections and t wo NJCAA WBCA All-Star participants.

Zinn also coached a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Player of the Year and two KJCCC Fresh-

BRADFORD ZINN ASSISTANT

BASKETBALL COACH

man of the Year winners. Eight of the 14 players who went on to compete at four-year colleges played at the NCAA Division-I level. In addition, t wo players signed professionally overseas.

Prior to Highland, Zinn spent 11 years coaching High School Basketball in Alabama with a brief stint in Tennessee. His teams made several trips to the Regional Championships in the state’s largest classifications.

Zinn has two daughters: Keirsha (23), who is a nursing student at Auburn Montgomery, Jalyn (19), who is a freshman at Bethune Cookman University.

THE ZINN FILE

HOMETOWN: Racine, Wisconson

HIGH SCHOOL: William Horlick High School

COLLEGE: Alabama A&M University

FAMILY: KIDS: Keirsha & Jalyn

COACHING HISTORY

GARDEN CITY CC: 2021-PRESENT

WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH

HIGHLAND CC: 2017-2020

WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH

JEMISON HIGH SCHOOL: 2015-2017

GIRL’S ASSISTANT COACH

SPRINGFIELD HIGH SCHOOL: 2014-2015

INTERIM GIRL’S HEAD COACH

COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL: 2010-2013

BOY’S & GIRL’S ASSISTANT COACH

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY: 2007-2009

VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH

BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL: 2006

ASSISTANT COACH

2024 BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE

madisen smith

ASSISTANT BASKETBALL COACH

THE SMITH FILE

HOMETOWN: Greenville, S.C.

HIGH SCHOOL: Greenville Senior HS

COLLEGE: West Virginia University

FAMILY: Chris Smith, DAD

Marsha Bailey, MOM

COACHING HISTORY

2024-PRESENT - GARDEN CITY CC ASSISTANT WOMEN’S COACH

PLAYING HISTORY

2018-2022 - WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

2022-23(SUPERSENIORSEASON)

All-Time leader in minutes played at WVU Averaged 14 Points and 3 Assists

2021-22(SENIORSEASON)

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Academic All-Big 12 First Team

Played in and started all 30 games, while averaging a team-best 35.3 minutes per game

Showed 19 points on 7-of-14 (50%) shooting, Including 4-of-7 (57.1%) from deep, in the Big 12 Championship against TCU

2020-21(JUNIORSEASON)

Academic All-Big 12 First Team

• Played in 21 games, including 20 starts

Averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game

2019-20(SOPHOMORESEASON)

Academic All-Big 12 Second Team

2018-19(FRESHMANSEASON)

2019 Big 12 All-Freshman Team

2019 Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team

• Three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week (Nov. 26, Feb. 11, Feb. 19)

USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Feb. 19)

• Played in all 33 games, making 29 starts with six 40-minute contests

Madisen Smith, a former standout player at West Virginia University, has begun her new chapter as a first-year coach at Garden City Community College.

Coach Smith is a standout athlete who recently completed her collegiate basketball career as a super senior at West Virginia University. Over her four years, she garnered numerous accolades that underscore her exceptional talent and commitment to the game.

In her senior season (2021-22), Madisen was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and earned a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. She played in and started all 30 games, averaging a team-best 35.3 minutes per game. Her performance peaked during the Big 12 Championship

against TCU, where she scored 19 points on 50% shooting, including 57.1% from beyond the arc.

During her junior season (2020-21), Madisen again received recognition as an Academic All-Big 12 First Team member, starting 20 of the 21 games she played and averaging 8.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

Her sophomore year (2019-20) saw her named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, while her freshman year (2018-19) marked her emergence as a star, being selected for the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team. She was also a three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week and earned the title of USBWA National Freshman of the Week on February 19, 2019.

Throughout her career, Madisen played in 105 games, making 69 starts and displaying remarkable consistency, including six 40-minute contests. Her legacy at WVU is marked by her contributions on the court and her positive inf luence off it, embodying resilience and passion that will guide her in future endeavors.

2024-2025

WOMEN’S

BASKETBALL

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

BUSTERS

Garden City, KS - In a thrilling season opener, Garden City Community College edged out Northwestern Oklahoma State with a final score of 71-66. Both teams showed determination, but it was Garden City that ultimately capitalized on their scoring opportunities and defensive efforts.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, with Northwestern Oklahoma State holding a slight edge early on. They led 30-24, thanks in part to strong performances in the paint, scoring 38 points inside. Brian Free stood out for Northwestern, putting up 9 points, while Larry White grabbed 10 rebounds, showcasing his prowess on the boards.

VS VS

outscoring Northwestern 47-36. Braxton Jones was a key contributor for Garden City, scoring 16 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Thomas Tut also made a significant impact, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds, including crucial baskets that shifted the momentum.

Northwestern struggled with shooting in the second half, finishing with a field goal percentage of 36.8%, while Garden City improved to 38.5%. The home team also showed better efficiency from the free-throw line, converting 71.1% of their attempts compared to Northwestern’s 50%.

Thomas

Brody Robinson: 25 points, including a stellar 18-21 from the free-throw line

Garden City’s balanced scoring and effective defense in the second half proved decisive. The game showcased promising performances from both squads, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.

The second half saw Garden City come alive,

Key Players: Garden City Community College

City, KS-After

before signing with Tennessee

in 2022. After playing in 33 games as a true freshman, the Texas native rerouted his plans to Garden City.

Second-year Head Coach, Rusty Elmore is sure thankful that he did.

The sophomore finished with 24 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, Saint Peter’s transfer, Thomas Tut posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards, and 16th-ranked Garden City held off McCook, 79-73 on Wednesday night at Conestoga Arena.

“We practice so hard every single day,” Robinson said after the game. “We’ve been through a lot up until this point, and I know I can count on my brother next to me to get the job done.”

While Robinson was the main attraction on opening night, he had plenty of help; mainly from Tut, whose steal and rim-rattling two-handed jam with 4:17 to go, gave Garden City a 67-63 lead.

“I know I can count on other guys to make the right play,” Robinson explained.

Jordan Frazier, who arrived on campus last spring,

scored 14 points in 33 minutes for Garden City, which had four of their five starters reach double figures. Braxton Jones chipped in 12.

For game one of the season, this was as high-level as it gets. There were 14 lead changes and five ties, with neither team able to break away.

The Broncbusters used a 9-1 run capped by a Robinson 3-pointer and two free throws to build a 3528 advantage with 2:45 left in the first half. Moments later, Tut grabbed Seydou Tamboura’s missed triple and slammed it home for a 37-30 cushion. But the Indians closed with a strong surge, scoring the final six points including a controversial Zeki Calvi 3-pointer at the buzzer that trimmed Garden City’s lead to one, 37-36 at the break. However, video replay would later show that the shot should never have counted.

Garden City came out sluggish to begin the second period. Louie Tucker’s transition layup off a Robinson turnover gave McCook a one-point edge. Ty Foster added two free throws; then found Noah Boyed for a two-handed dunk, giving the Indians their largest lead of the night, 43-38 with 17:50 to play.

Robinson though quickly answered with a 3 on the

other end, Cooper Autry buried one from long distance, and Garden City regained the lead, 46-45. Tut added a driving layup, and Robinson roped a pretty pass to Tamboura, who finished at the rim with authority, and the Broncbusters were up by five.

After McCook battled back to take a 63-62 lead with 5:16 remaining, Robinson responded with a 25foot bomb from the left sideline to give Garden City the lead for good. The sophomore drained two free throws, and Jones hit a clutch jumper from the slot to make it 75-69 with 90 seconds to play.

The Broncbusters were just 11-of-21 from the stripe, but they made up for it with 10 3-pointers while shooting 45 percent from the field.

Boyed, who holds offers from a slew of Power-5 schools including Nebraska, had 18 points and eight boards for McCook. Calvi tallied 15 in 28 minutes off the bench.

Braxton Jones: 16 points, 7 rebounds

Tut: 14 points, 12 rebounds

Garden

a stellar prep career at prestigious Houston Christian, Brody Robinson reclassified

Chattanooga

CHARLES CHUKWU

at

Lamar, CO-The last time Garden City was scheduled to play a game at Lamar, the contest was cancelled because of an old air conditioner that was leaking condensation onto the floor.

Maybe that was a bad omen for the future.

EJ Brown had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Sean Lindsay added 18 points and nine assists, and Lamar upset No. 16 Garden City in overtime, 80-72 on Monday night.

The Broncbusters turned the ball over 23 times and shot just 36 percent from the floor. They were 11-of-36 (31 percent) from deep and missed nine free throws.

Go ahead and mark this game down for some early-season controversy.

With Garden City leading 65-63 with 40 seconds remaining in regulation, Lamar’s Lee Hubbard missed two free throws. When the ball clanged off the front rim on the second attempt, both Jordan Frazier and EJ Brown got their hands on it forcing a tie up. At that

GAME2:MONDAY, NOVEMBER6,2023

point, the possession arrow pointed Garden City’s way. But with no explanation, the arrow flipped, and the officials awarded possession to Lamar.

“We just have to be better,” Elmore said.

That extra possession changed everything, and on the ensuing inbounds, Keziah Forest blew past Braxton Jones for a right-handed layup that tied the game.

With a chance to win it in regulation, Brody Robinson, who was trying to get free on the inbounds play, cut across the lane where he was knocked to the ground by Curtis Stovall. The officials said play on, and eventually Garden City turned it over.

Robinson then deflected Hubbard’s full court baseball pass in the final seconds, and the game went into overtime.

It was all Lopes from there.

Stoval buried a 3-pointer from the left corner to begin the extra session, fueling a 13-5 run that put Lamar up 78-70. They ended up outscoring the

Broncbusters 15-7 in overtime.

Jones finished with 24 points and five 3s for Garden City. Robinson had 14 points and nine assists but turned the ball over nine times. He was 4-of-14 from the field.

After a sluggish start in which Garden City trailed by five a few minutes into the game, Elmore’s team responded with a 32-11 run capped by Jace Steinmetz’s triple from the left corner that put the Broncbusters up 36-20 with 2:30 remaining in the first half. But Garden City didn’t score again as the Lopes finished the period on a 7-0 surge, and the Broncbusters’ double-digit lead was trimmed to nine at the intermission.

VS

Oterousesstrongsecondhalf tosurgepastGardenCity

Garden City, KS-It was a second half to forget.

Felipe Carter scored 12 of his teambest 18 points over the final 20 minutes, Anthony Harris Jr. added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Otero outscored Garden City 42-20 in the second half en route to a 64-49 victory at Conestoga Arena.

The Broncbusters missed 22 of their 29 shot attempts in the final period turning a seven-point halftime advantage into their worst home loss since a 31-point defeat vs. Seward on March 24, 2021. And it really came down to not making shots.

Brody Robinson’s 3-pointer gave Garden City their largest lead, 20-11 with 4:51 to

GAME3:TUESDAy, November7,2023

play in the first half. Moments later, he added a nifty assist when he found Bok Kuir for a transition jam, Thomas Tut and Robinson drained four free throws over the final 60 seconds, and the Broncbusters were up 29-22 at the break.

The second half though was a totally different story.

Isaiah Dixon’s jump shot with 13:14 remaining gave the home team a 3832 lead. But Otero hit the Broncbusters with an avalanche, responding with a 21-5 run polished off by Harris Jr’s steal and subsequent dunk on the other end, putting the Rattlers up, 53-43 with 5:53 remaining.

All Rusty Elmore could do was shake his

head as Garden City never got any closer than seven the rest of the way.

Braxton Jones paced the Broncbusters (1-2, 0-0) with 16 points but was just 7-of-21 from the field in 30 minutes. Robinson, who committed nine turnovers on Monday night in Lamar, finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists but made only three shots.

Tay Mosher scored 14 points for Otero, which won its second straight game after a 15-point loss to New Mexico on opening night.

BRODY ROBINSON

BUSTERS VS

Garden City, KS-Braxton Jones and Thomas Tut combined for 54 points, Bol Kuir added nine points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in 16 minutes off the bench, and Garden City beat Sterling College, 96-55 Thursday night at Conestoga Arena.

This was far from a perfect performance, especially considering Garden City shot just 36 percent from the field in the opening period. But Elmore’s squad came out with more energy over the final 20 minutes, finishing 20-of-32 (63 percent) from the floor in the second half and 6-of-13 from 3.

Tut’s thunderous dunk two minutes into the game put Garden City ahead 8-0. He added another poster with less than seven minutes remaining after Sterling cut the lead to two. In all, the sophomore finished with 26 points on 9-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line in 29 efficient minutes.

“Hopefully he (Tut) can build up on this, and get back in and get back to work,” Elmore said.

The Broncbusters never trailed in the game,

atBorger, TX-Garden City needed this one.

although the Warriors kept things tight early when Gavin Dobbins’ 3-pointer from the top of the key tied things up at 10. But Garden City managed to pull away after that, and with their lead trimmed to two, Elmore’s squad responded with a 20-8 run to end the half highlighted by freshman Jace Steinmetz’s steal and transition dunk that made it 37-23 at the break.

“It was all about being aggressive from the jump,” Tut said afterwards. “The last two games have been really tough, but every player and every team goes through those types of ups and downs.”

There weren’t many downs on this night for the former Saint Peter’s Peacock.

His twisting layup early in the second half gave the Broncbusters a 16-point edge. He added a flashy threepoint play moments later and a couple of free throws, which was all part of a stretch where the sophomore scored nine straight points to begin the final period putting Garden City up 49-31 with 16 minutes to go.

tonight,” Tut said. “We made a ton of winning plays.”

After some offensive struggles in the first half, Garden City outscored Sterling 59-32 in the second, building their lead to as many as 46 after Jones slipped a pass to Carter Davis for a right-handed layup to make it 96-50 with 1:43 remaining.

Garden City, which improved to 2-2 on the season, shot 49 percent from the field and 11-of-29 from downtown. They produced 28 assists on their 33 made baskets and outrebounded the Warriors, 41-17.

Dobbins scored 18 points for Sterling, which dropped to 2-2 overall. Camden Carr scored 10 points but was just 2-of-8 from the field.

“My teammates put me in a really good position

Braxton Jones finished with a game-high 26 points, Brody Robinson had 14 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, and Garden City pounded Frank Phillips, 82-52 at the Borger Community Activity Center Tuesday night.

“Our goal when we came in here was to take the crowd out of it,” Head Coach, Rusty Elmore said. “That’s what we didn’t do at Lamar. We let them hang around, and it really affected us.”

The Broncbusters shot a season-high 50% from the field and hit 10 3-pointers while limiting the Plainsmen to just 19-of-60 shooting (31.7 percent). Garden City also had a season-low four turnovers.

“We look a lot different with Charles Chukwu out there,” Elmore added. “He gives us a presence inside.”

Chukwu, the transfer from Tulsa, made his regular-season debut on Tuesday, finishing with six points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. He was 3-for3 from the field.

“We’ve been guarding during these losses,” Elmore explained. “It’s been our offense that’s been an issue. But we got things going tonight.”

Garden City, which improved to 3-2 heading into their conference opener on Saturday vs. Colby, never trailed in this one. Jordan Frazier’s silkysmooth jumper from the top of the key gave the Broncbusters a 6-0 advantage three minutes into the contest. Brody Robinson’s steal and layup later in the period gave the visitors their first double-digit lead, 27-16 before the sophomore point guard added a 3-pointer and another transition layup, Chukwu drilled a midrange jumper; then strolled in for a twohanded jam off a pretty assist by Thomas Tut, and Garden City was up, 36-21 at the break.

“Guys were able to hit some shots and get going,” Elmore said. “I’m just glad we could get a win because now the real stuff starts.”

As impressive as Garden City was in the first half, they one-upped themselves in the second. They outscored Frank Phillips 46-31 over the final 20 minutes, building their lead to as many as 38 after Frazier connected from deep to make it 73-35 with 6:39 to play.

Jones, who scored 21 of 26 points in the second half, finished 7-of-15 from the field (6-of-7 in the second half) and was 5-of-10 from downtown. Tut added 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, and Frazier chipped in 14 points and six boards in 29 minutes.

Benny Kazadi paced Frank Phillips with 18 points off the bench. Odanis Done had 10 on 4-of11 shooting.

1stHALF2NDHALFFINALSCORE GARDENCITYCC COLBYCC 35 33 3873 2356 Jones26leadsBroncbustersto conference-opening

Garden City, KS-Through six games, there is one thing that is certain: Garden City’s defense is much improved from a season ago.

The Broncbusters, which entered Saturday’s conference opener second in the Jayhawk and 15th nationally in opponents field goal percentage, limited the Trojans to just 39 percent shooting, Braxton Jones scored 26 points, and Garden City ran away from Colby, 73-56 at Conestoga Arena.

Garden City’s defense was suffocating over the final 20 minutes. Colby missed 23 of their last 30 shots from the field and turned the ball over 15 times as the Broncbusters outscored them, 38-23 in the second half.

Offensively, it took the Broncbusters a little bit to get going. Jones nailed a 3-pointer nearly four minutes into the game to get Garden City on the board. Later in the half, Jones again connected from deep, Jordan Frazier splashed home a fallaway 26-footer as the shot clock expired, and Brody Robinson made two free throws to give the Broncbusters a 26-16 advantage

VS AT

GAME6:saturday, NOVEMBER18,2023

with 6:35 remaining.

Colby though answered with a 9-0 run over the next two minutes, and Marko Malekinusic’s triple from the top of the key sliced the lead to one, 26-25. Garden City was up just two at the intermission.

“We talk about this as our goal every single day,” Jones said after the game. “We are trying to go to Hutch. Every game matters, and we know there are going to be ups and downs, but we have to make sure that we are mostly staying on the upside.”

Jones, who started one game at Hartford last season, tallied 17 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, marking the fifth straight contest that he’s led the Broncbusters in scoring. He was 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-7 from deep over the final 20 minutes. In fact, it was his layup two minutes into the second half that broke a 40-40 deadlock and ignited a 16-3 run that was polished off by sophomore Cooper Autry’s second-chance bucket that gave Garden City a 56-43 lead with 11:29 to go.

Independence, KS-Thomas Tut has experienced plenty of highs over the past eight months.

As a freshman at St. Peters, his team qualified for the NCAA Tournament back in March, becoming the first 15-seed in history to advance to the Elite Eight. Fast forward to November, and the South Sudan native is doing some of his best work on the Junior College circuit.

Tut scored 25 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, Brody Robinson added 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals, and Garden City improved to 2-0 in conference play with an 82-71 victory over Independence at First Oak Bank Fieldhouse.

The second-year coach, whose team won its third consecutive game, was alluding to the fact that the Broncbusters turned it over a season-worst 24 times marking the second time this year that they’ve had 20 or more in a game (23 vs. Lamar on Nov. 6).

“The only bright spot in this game was our freethrow shooting,” Elmore added.

Garden City connected on a school record 40-of48 (83 percent) from the stripe and were a whopping

“This is all because of my teammates,” Jones explained. “They kept finding me and putting me in great position on the floor to be successful.”

Robinson hit a step-back 3-pointer; then found Jones in rhythm from downtown, giving Garden City a 13-point lead with less than five minutes to go. It never got under 10 the rest of the way.

Robinson finished with 21 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds for the Broncbusters, which beat Colby for a fifth consecutive time. Tulsa transfer, Charles Chukwu, who made his season debut Tuesday night at Frank Phillips, had seven points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes.

Malekinusic led Colby with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Maxence Massadila scored 14 on 5-of10 shooting.

CURRENT RECORD: 4-2

1stHALF2NDHALFFINALSCORE GARDENCITYCC independencecc 48 33 3482 3871

GAME7:TUESDAy, November21,2023

28-of-32 in the first half. They outscored the Pirates by 27 at the line.

While the numbers weren’t pretty, Garden City trailed for a total of 55 seconds in the game. After Ahmaree Muhammad’s steal and spectacular finish over Robinson resulted in a three-point play that put the Pirates ahead, 25-23 with 7:45 to go in the first half, the Broncbusters countered with nine straight points, all but two of which came at the line. The lone exception was Tut’s transition jam, which came off a beautiful setup feed from Braxton Jones to give the visitors a 32-25 edge with 6:25 remaining.

After Independence crawled back to within one, Garden City put the hammer down, closing the half on a 16-2 run to take a 15-point lead into the locker room.

The more impressive feat during that stretch was the fact that the Broncbusters held the Pirates without a field goal for the final 6:01 of the period.

Garden City built the lead to as many as 19 early in the second half following Robinson’s layup that made it 52-33. But over the next nine minutes, the Pirates chipped away, and Muhammad’s driving layup in

traffic pulled Independence to within 10, 63-53 with 11:42 to go.

The home team never got any closer after that. Robinson hit two free throws, Jordan Frazier found Tut along the baseline for a two-handed layup before the sophomore grabbed Frazier’s missed 3-pointer from the wing and stuck it back home to give Garden City a 72-58 lead with 8:30 remaining.

The Broncbusters won the game despite shooting just 37 percent from the field and a season-worst 4-of20 from beyond the arc. They did crush the Pirates on the glass, 46-28, and Frazier dropped in a season-best 17 points on 5-of-12 from the field.

Muhammad scored 23 for Independence, which dropped to 1-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play. BJ Williams finished with 11 points before fouling out late in the second half.

CURRENT RECORD: 5-2

BRAXTON JONES

THOMAS TUT

GardenCityblastsPrattto improveto3-0inleagueplay

Garden City, KS-In just three games, Charles Chukwu has definitely made his presence felt.

The sophomore filled the stat sheet with eight points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks, Braxton Jones scored 29, and Garden City cruised to an 82-66 victory over Pratt Sunday afternoon at Conestoga Arena.

Brody Robinson finished with 24 points and seven assists, and Thomas Tut added 12 points and nine boards.

“The big thing in this game is that we got stops,” Head Coach, Rusty Elmore said. “We hit some big shots, and then Brody kind of took the game over for us.”

They also cleaned things up, and after turning the ball over 24 times on Tuesday, the Broncbusters had just nine giveaways in this one.

“This was a great team win,” Elmore stated.

VS at

Garden City, which improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play, never trailed, building

GardenCityfalls InConcordia

Concordia, KS-Abdoulaye Fall had 17 points, Cheikh Sow and Isaiah Sy each scored 15, and Cloud County beat Garden City, 66-54 Wednesday night at Arley Bryant Gymnasium.

Ja’Ron Briggs chipped in 13 points and five rebounds in 39 minutes for the Thunderbirds, which improved to 8-1 overall and 3-1 in Jayhawk Conference play.

Brody Robinson scored 22 points and was 7-of-14 from the field for Garden City, but the rest of the team combined to go just 12-of-34 (36 percent). Braxton Jones had 13, and Thomas Tut tallied seven points and nine rebounds.

The Broncbusters offensive woes were masked early on thanks to Robinson, who drained a pair of 3-pointers to begin the game. In fact, the sophomore guard scored the first 11 points of the contest for Rusty Elmore’s bunch, nailing another triple with 13 minutes to go in the first half to give Garden City a three-point edge. They were up eight after Thomas Tut’s coast-to-coast and-1 layup that made it 21-13

BUSTERS

Those players included Cooper Autry and Boston Harker, two returners from last year’s squad who both missed the game because of injury.

The Broncbusters looked flat in the game’s first two minutes, prompting the second-year coach to burn a quick timeout. After the stoppage though, Garden City went to work. Jones hit a 3; then found Thomas Tut underneath for a layup, Robinson lobbed a pass to Tut for a dunk, and Jones rattled home a 3-pointer, fueling a 14-1 run that gave the Broncbusters an 18-8 advantage with 14:43 remaining.

Jones’ triple from the wing with 4:38 to go, gave Garden City its largest lead of the first half, 39-26. They were up 12 at the intermission.

“For the most part, I really like what we did today,” Elmore said. “But we had some momentary lapses.”

One of those stretches happened early in the second half, when Northwest Tech used 19-10 run to pull to within three with 13:25 left. But that’s as close as the Mavericks came. Robinson answered with a three-

point play and a

and

giving Garden City a 10-point

Jones’ final jumper of the night, an off-balance 18-footer, gave the Broncbusters their largest lead, 86-66 with 1:59 on the clock. The transfer from Hartford finished 11-of-16 from the floor and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Tut had 18 points and five rebounds for Garden City. Charles Chukwu added 13 points and six boards, and Garden City native, Jace Steinmetz scored seven points in nine minutes off the bench.

Keyishon Miller led the Mavericks with 17 points, five assists, and four steals. Taiden Conner added 16 points and seven boards.

four three-pointers on his way to a team-high 18 points. His shooting from beyond the arc stretched the defense, opening up driving lanes and further fueling the Broncbusters’ potent offense.

Inside, Charles Chukwu was nearly unstoppable. With 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting, he showcased his efficiency and ability to finish at the rim. His performance was a model of consistency, and his three assists and defensive contributions made him an all-around force.

At point guard, Brody Robinson orchestrated the offense to perfection. With 17 points and 17 assists, Robinson was the glue that held the team’s up-tempo play together. His ability to create opportunities for his teammates was on full display, ensuring the Broncbusters remained in rhythm and well-balanced throughout the contest.

Off the bench, Carter Davis provided a huge spark, scoring 23 points in just 21 minutes of play. His hot shooting, including five three-pointers, helped keep the offensive momentum flowing

and added depth to the team’s already potent attack.

As a team, the Broncbusters’ efficiency was remarkable. Their fast-paced offense generated high-quality shots, and they shot a scorching 63.4% from the field. With 37 assists and a staggering 34 rebounds, it was clear that their collective effort and teamwork were the driving forces behind the victory.

It was a total team effort that saw multiple players contribute in big ways, and the Broncbusters proved they can strike quickly and efficiently. Their dominant performance was a reminder of just how dangerous they can be when clicking on all cylinders. As they continue their season, games like this show the potential for even greater success down the road.

foul-line jumper, Tut buried two free throws,

Robinson swished a shot from the elbow,

cushion.

vs

Garden City, KS-Welcome back Braxton Jones.

The sophomore, who missed the final game of the first semester with a foot injury, returned to score a season-high 33 points, Brody Robinson had 17 points and 13 assists, and Garden City steamrolled Seward County, 102-83 Wednesday night at Conestoga Arena.

Thomas Tut added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Charles Chukwu had 16 points and eight boards for the Broncbusters, which won their third straight game to improve to 9-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

And it definitely showed. Garden City produced 24 assists on 34 made baskets, they shot 47 percent from the field and nailed 12 3-pointers, their second most in a game this season and eighth time they’ve made 10 or more.

“Instead of devouring Christmas turkeys and sipping on eggnog, Elmore spent the duration of the holiday break in the lab, redesigning an offense that sputtered for the majority of the first semester. What he came up with was an age-old scheme inspired by

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former Loyola Marymount Head Coach, Paul Westhead, the father of the “Run and Gun” offense.

Wednesday night provided the perfect platform for the pilot program.

Following Ryle Riddlespurger’s missed 3-pointer, Robinson, who finished just three rebounds shy of a triple double, raced up the floor before dropping off a no-look dime to Tut for a layup to make it 26-21 with 9:46 to go. The sequence took all of five seconds.

Jones followed with a transition layup, and Jordan Frazier turned an Amir Whitlock missed jumper into a lightning quick deuce on the other end. Moments later,

Isiah Dixon grabbed Jones’ missed 18-footer and stuffed it home with two hands to give Garden City a 38-31 advantage.

Once Seward County trimmed the lead to four late in the period, Tut buried a corner 3 at the buzzer, capping off a first half in which the Broncbusters shot 50 percent from the field and 6-of-13 from downtown to lead 53-46 at the intermission.

atIndependence and Colby.

Thomas Tut poured in a season-high 31 points, Brody Robinson added 29 points and 10 masterful assists, and Garden City ran Coffeyville out of its own gym, 106-92 Saturday night at Nellis Hall. It was the brown and gold’s first win on Herkelman Court since Jan. 14, 2022.

Jordan Frazier finished with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, and Braxton Jones tallied 13 in 33 minutes as the Broncbusters won their fourth straight game to improve to 10-5 overall and 6-3 in conference. They’re now tied with Cloud County for fourth place in the Jayhawk standings.

Elmore knows that firsthand as Saturday was his first career victory vs. Hall-of-Fame coach, Jay Herkelman.

Garden City matched a season-low with only four turnovers and outscored the Red Ravens, 50-40 in the paint. They also scored 100 points or more in back-toback games for the first time since Jan. 26 and Jan. 28, 2022, when they posted 106 and 112 respectively vs.

It was all Garden City from there.

Elijah Roberts, who spent last season on the bowling team at Dallas Baptist, buried a 3-pointer from the wing, Charles Chukwu threw down a vicious dunk off a laser pass from Robinson, and Jones completed a three-point play to put the Broncbusters up 13. They pushed it to 18 after another Jones’ triple that made it 79-61 with 10:24 on the clock.

Roberts scored 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench in his season debut for Garden City.

Whitlock scored 19 on 7-of-11 shooting for the Saints, which lost its fifth straight game to drop to 3-10 overall and 1-6 in conference. All five losses during this recent stretch have been by double digits.

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And this was high-level basketball at its finest.

After Coffeyville responded with a 10-2 surge to knot the game at 32, Elijah Roberts banked home a twisting double-clutch jumper in the paint; then knocked down two free throws, Robinson setup Tut for a 12-foot push shot, and Garden City had its biggest lead of the opening period, 48-38 with 2:13 to go.

But in a game played at such a frenetic pace, the double-digit lead dissipated quickly. The Broncbusters failed to score the rest of the way as Coffeyville closed the half on a 9-0 run capped by a Jones’ turnover that led to an Alvin Cole layup in the final seconds that cut the Garden City lead to 48-47 at the intermission. They didn’t let that opportunity slip away after the break.

Over the final 20 minutes, Garden City outscored Coffeyville, 58-45 and buried 20-of-their-final 40 shots from the field. And after trailing by as many as three early in the second half, Garden City buried the Red Ravens with an up-tempo attack that even had Herkelman perplexed.

Robinson found Jones for a right-wing 3-pointer; then zipped a beautiful no-look pass to Tulsa transfer, Charles Chukwu for a two-handed flush. Jones followed with another long ball, and Tut converted an acrobatic tip-in off Robinson’s missed triple attempt to give the visitors a 13-point edge. The Saint Peters’ transfer then rattled home a straight-on 3-pointer before converting a spectacular three-point play where he curled along the left baseline before finishing a wraparound layup over Jahni Summers to give Garden City its largest lead of the day, 90-72 with 5:36 remaining.

Roberts scored eight points off the bench for Garden City, which finished 24-of-26 from the line and outrebounded Coffeyville, 35-33. Chukwu added nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks despite being limited to only 24 minutes because of foul trouble.

Coffeyville, KS-Six seconds or less is turning into a major problem for opponents.

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back, answering with a 32-15 run capped by a Braxton Jones 3-pointer and a Robinson driving layup to give the home team a 32-29 advantage with 4:38 to go. They were up four at the half.

Garden City, which led by as many as six, could never pull away in the second half. Cooper Jackson hit a couple of free throws, and Thompson, who had his way for most of the night on the interior, knocked down a two-footer over Charles Chukwu to give the Cougars their first lead of the final period.

Then controversy struck.

Trailing by one with 16 minutes to go, Malith drove from the left wing to the baseline. Isaiah Dixon, whose feet appeared to be outside the restricted arc, was in position. But when the two collided, Dixon was called for a blocking foul. After a brief discussion, the officials went to review. But instead of overturning the call, they counted the basket and instead signaled for a double foul on Malith and Dixon.

Garden City never led again.

The Cougars answered with nine straight points as the Broncbusters went scoreless the next three minutes. And when Thompson maneuvered inside for a layup, Barton had a 67-56 lead with 10:08 remaining.

The Broncbusters managed to pull within four after Jones buried three free throws with 4:24 to play. But their offense went silent again. Thompson hit from the charity stripe, Jackson made 1-of-2 at the line, and Kindell turned a Robinson turnover into an easy layup on the other end to put Barton up, 77-69.

Jones finished with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting for Garden City. Robinson had 26 and 11 assists but was just 6-of-19 from the floor. Elijah Roberts scored 11 in 22 minutes off the bench.

the reality is, we guarded our butts off,” Elmore explained. “We made it very difficult on them.”

The 37-point rout is the second largest this season behind only a 41-point victory over Sterling on Nov. 9. It’s also the most decisive win in the series dating back to Dec. 4, 2021, when Dodge City beat Garden City, 101-69.

And it was never really a contest.

Jordan Frazier started the game on his own personal 6-0 run, Jones capped off a 7-0 surge with a pullup jumper that put the Broncbusters up 10, and Robinson canned a step back 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 24-13 with 10:57 left in the half. Jones added a deep triple, Elijah Roberts deposited a Robinson assist with a 3 from the left wing, and Jones rattled home a 26-footer to give Garden City its largest lead of the opening half, 52-27 with 1:57 to go.

While Robinson was the orchestrator, Jones filled the stat sheet in 38 breathtaking minutes. The sophomore finished 8-of-14 from the field and made all four 3-point attempts. And his

passing was on full display in the second half, which included a perfect touch pass to Bol Kuir, whose right-handed slam over Jackson Swartz in the final minute, cemented an efficient triple-double.

Frazier poured in 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting for Garden City, which won for the fifth time in their last six games to improve to 11-6 overall and 7-4 in league play. Chukwu added 12 points, seven blocks, and seven rebounds, and Roberts tallied 10 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Avnoor Bhullar paced Dodge City with 15 points. Jamari Gamble scored 12, and Chevalier Emery and Jackson Swartz each had 11.

Hutchinson, KS-In an eight-point loss to Barton 10 days ago, Rusty Elmore watched helplessly as his star point guard was battered, bruised, and harassed with constant double teams and traps, an ultimate sign of respect.

The Blue Dragons limited Brody Robinson to a season-low five points and held him without a field goal in 33 frustrating minutes, Kamryn Thomas poured in a team-high 22, and Hutchinson beat Garden City, 85-64 at the Sports Arena.

The Broncbusters (11-7, 7-5), which shot 16-of-27 from deep vs. Dodge City on Wednesday, finished 6-of26 on Saturday and shot just 36 percent from the floor. They also were held to their third lowest point total of the season and surrendered 14 offensive rebounds.

Kernan Bundy chipped in 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting for the Blue Dragons, which won for the fifth time in their last six games to improve to 15-3 overall and 10-2 in conference. It also marked their second straight 20-point victory over the Broncbusters in the

Sports Arena after battering Elmore’s bunch, 80-60 back on March 1, 2023.

And this game played out eerily similar.

Bundy stole the ball from Jordan Frazier, then fed Edwin Daniel for a transition dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet, and putting Hutchinson up, 13-3 six minutes into the contest. A few minutes later, Bundy drilled a 3-pointer from the wing before beating Elijah Roberts to the rim for a deuce, JoJo Adeoye grabbed Bundy’s missed layup and tipped it home, and Dallas Whitney rattled home a wide-open triple to make it 28-12.

Hutchinson stretched the lead to 20 with less than three minutes to play in the half when Thomas connected from deep to give the Blue Dragons a 41-21 advantage. After Garden City trimmed the deficit to 13, Valentino Simon swished a 17-foot jumper followed by Kobe Smith’s made layup that came off a pair of offensive rebounds, giving Hutchinson a 47-30 cushion going into the locker room.

As for Robinson, the second half didn’t get much

KS-Rusty Elmore’s 2019-20 Colby Trojans were one global pandemic away from competing for a national championship. And that’s not an over exaggeration.

Nearly four years later, Elmore, with his new squad, was back in the arena he used to call home. And when it was all said and done Wednesday night, it would be a fair assessment to say the town definitely misses him.

Braxton Jones finished with 28 points, Brody Robinson added 19 points and eight assists, and Garden City soared past Colby, 89-73 at the Events Center.

The Broncbusters, which won for the sixth time in in their last eight games, improved to 12-7 overall and 8-5 in conference play, moving within a game of fourth-place Cloud County in the standings.

Jordan Frazier chipped in 15 points, and Thomas Tut added 15 points and eight boards.

For the most part, except for late in the second

half, this game wasn’t close. The Broncbusters ripped off a 9-0 run capped by a pair of Jones’ triples to give the visitors an early 9-2 edge. Moments later, Jones hit from 26 feet out, Tut banged home a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and Frazier and Robinson nailed consecutive triples to give Garden City a 33-17 advantage with 8:12 left in the half. They were up 20 at the break.

The only anxious moments came with a little over six minutes remaining when Raphael NagauTrouart nailed an 18-footer over Jones to pull Colby within eight, 69-61. But Jones answered with a pair of free throws, Tut hit a midrange jumper, and Frazier knocked down a 15-footer along the baseline to stretch the lead back to 14.

The Broncbusters rebounded from their poor shooting performance at Hutchinson on Saturday by canning 14-of-37 (38 percent) from beyond the arc. They produced 17 assists on 29 made baskets and won the game despite being outrebounded, 46-31.

better. And following a drive where the sophomore was bumped going to the basket before losing the ball out of bounds, Robinson slowly walked to the bench, punching the air in frustration. He finished 0-of-3 from the field.

Meantime, the Blue Dragons built its lead to as many as 30 after Bundy canned a 3-pointer to make it 74-44 with 7:27 remaining.

Following his first-career triple double on Wednesday, Braxton Jones finished with 23 points for Garden City. Thomas Tut scored with 13 points and pulled down seven boards.

Whitney scored 14 points off the bench for Hutchinson, and Smith added 10.

Colby,

Nagau-Trouart scored 20 points in 29 minutes off the bench for Colby, which dropped to 6-13 overall and 2-11 in conference. Maxence Massadila and D’Necco Rucker each tallied 16.

BRODY ROBINSON

games. They led by as many as 38 following Charles Chukwu’s free throw that made it 111-73 with 2:05 remaining.

The Broncbusters outrebounded the Pirates, 46-28 and posted 31 assists, their third game this season with 30 or more.

Chukwu scored 17 points, and Tut had 15 and eight boards for Garden City.

Jones scored 20 in 34 minutes for Garden City, which also set a program record by hitting 18 3-pointers (18-of-27). Roberts drilled five triples off the bench to finish with 15 points, Frazier added 10 points, and Charles Chukwu tallied four points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.

Depaul transfer, Zion Cruz finished with 18 points for Pratt, which fell to 6-14 overall and 4-11 in the Jayhawk.

vs

Jones&RobinsoncarryGarden Citytokeyconferencewin

Garden City, KS-During a typical work week, Rusty Elmore doesn’t sleep much. So, after Wednesday night’s victory in Pratt, the veteran head coach stayed up long into the night, devising a game plan to attack one of the best defensive teams in the league.

And after a bit of a shaky start, those bags glistening under Elmore’s eyes on Saturday night were well worth their weight in gold.

Braxton Jones finished with 24 points, Brody Robinson added 21 points and 10 assists, and Garden City avenged an early-season loss to Cloud County with a 73-65 victory at Conestoga Arena. The Broncbusters improved to 15-7 overall and 11-5 in conference play, moving within two games of fourth-place Butler.

Elmore needed Robinson badly, especially after his team fell into a 17-4 hole. In fact, the Broncbusters managed just two field goals over the first nine minutes of the game. But the sophomore point guard hit a contested jumper to break the seal, Tut followed with a layup, and Garden City appeared to have their feet

GAME22

underneath them.

The Thunderbirds length and physically bothered the Broncbusters for a good portion of the first half. But after trailing by as many as 13, Elmore’s bunch began to figure things out, and Robinson’s sensational threepoint play polished off an 18-6 run that pulled Garden City to within one, 23-22 with 6:04 remaining.

The Broncbusters were down five at the break.

Garden City found its groove early in the second half when Jones buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, giving the home team its first lead of the day, 37-35. Tut nailed a triple the next time down, and Robinson completed a three-point play to make it 45-40 with 12:43 remaining.

That’s when the switch officially flipped for Robinson, whose 32-point second half on Wednesday carried Garden City to the finish line. And while his encore performance didn’t light up the box score, it pushed the Broncbusters to within striking distance of one of the top four spots in March’s regional tournament. Robinson swished a step-back 3-pointer over Kyle

vsBroncbustersbounceback; beatColbyontheroad

Garden City, KS-Facing two of the top defensive teams in the league in back-to-back games was a scary proposition to begin with. And on Wednesday, when they needed it the most, the shots just didn’t fall.

Arzhonte Dallas scored 18 points and hit two momentum-shifting 3-pointers down the stretch, Jeff Nwankwo poured in 18 in 35 minutes, and the Tigers beat the Broncbusters, 74-66 at Conestoga Arena.

“We just choked in the second half,” Elmore said afterwards. “We had dumb turnovers, and that’s why Cowley is in the position that they are in.”

Thomas Tut finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds for Garden City, which dropped to 15-8 overall and 11-6 in the Jayhawk. But Cowley put the clamps on Elmore’s two-star guards as Brody Robinson and Braxton Jones shot 6-of-29 combined from the field.

“I think we completely lost our minds in the second half,” Elmore added. “And truth be told, that’s why we can’t win big games.”

As a team, it was the second-worst shooting

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performance of the season for Garden City (32.8 percent). They were 5-of-30 from 3.

Meantime Cowley, which bounced back from Saturday’s five-point home loss to red-hot Barton, turned a five-point halftime deficit into an eightpoint victory, outscoring the Broncbusters, 45-32 over the final 20 minutes. They shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half and 5-of-12 from 3.

“We did not have a good showing in the second half,” Elmore admitted. “That’s our problem right now.”

Clinging to a two-point lead nine minutes into the final period, Elmore could only watch as Nwankwo beat two defenders to the rim for a layup. Moments later, after Chukwu made 1-of-2 free throws to put Garden City back up by one, Nwankwo again got to the rim, this time taking a Marcus Zeigler pass and flushing it home with two hands, putting the Tigers up, 51-50 with 8:57 to go. Damare Smith added a pair of 3-pointers, Dallas hit nothing but net from 26 feet out, and Cowley was up seven with 5:36 remaining.

The Broncbusters pulled within three with less than five minutes to play, but Dallas hit another triple,

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BUSTERS

Trailing 21-14 10 minutes into the game, Elmore called a 30-second timeout to voice his displeasure. His team then responded valiantly with a 13-2 run with Robinson and Frazier combining to hit three straight triples to make it 27-23. Garden City was up

Butler though looked fresher in the second period, and Williams’ back-to-back buckets gave the home team a 47-43 advantage. McClennahan followed with a pair of free throws, Jason Drake slipped a pocket pass to Jamichael Stillwell for a layup, and Kaleb Washington slithered inside for an easy deuce to push the lead to eight with 15 minutes

Garden City (15-9, 11-7)) managed to pull within three following Robinson’s 3-pointer from the top of the key just over a minute later. It was one of three times that they made it a single-possession game in

Butler put the game away with an 11-2 surge capped by Washington’s three-point play and jump shot that gave the Grizzlies an 11-point cushion with 6:05 to go.

Robinson finished with 13 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes for Garden City. Charles Chukwu added nine points and five rebounds but only logged 21 minutes.

seven rebounds, and Charles Chukwu finished with

Garden City led only twice in this game, the last time coming with 14:30 remaining in the first half when Chukwu slipped inside for a layup to make it 11-10. But Jones answered with a pair of free throws on the other end, Keither Florence rattled the rim with a two-handed jam following Braxton Jones’ long three-point miss, and the Mavericks never trailed again. Florence added a three-point play later in the period that gave the home team a 26-15 advantage with 8:49 remaining.

Anthony Verge added a transition layup, and Jones buried a 27-footer to give Northwest Tech their largest advantage of the first half, 40-24 with 3:13 to go. They were up 11 going into the locker

Garden City, which finished 1-of-11 from 3 over the first 20 minutes, bricked 13 of their final 14 shots from deep. Still, they gave themselves a chance

when Robinson converted back-to-back layups to pull the Broncbusters to within two, 75-73 with 2:43 to play. But Robinson fouled Conner, who followed with two free throws, Keyishon Miller cashed in Jones’ missed triple and turned it into a layup, and Northwest Tech was back up by six.

The Broncbusters had another chance after Chukwu’s two-handed slam made it a onepossession contest with less than a minute remaining. But with the shot clock winding down for the Mavericks, Williams found a path to the rim for two, all but putting the game away.

Charles Fofanah scored 13 points, and Florence had 12 for the Northwest Tech, which moved to 10-14 overall and 6-12 in the conference. Williams added 11 in 16 minutes off the bench.

free throws. He eclipsed the previous mark set by Tahlik Chavez in 2020. Thomas Tut had 17 points and

at

Liberal, KS-This was a badly needed win for Rusty Elmore’s team.

Brody Robinson scored 24 points, Thomas Tut posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Garden City topped Seward County, 81-71 Saturday afternoon at the Green House. The win snapped a season-high threegame losing streak, bumping the Broncbusters to 16-10 overall and 12-8 in league play.

Braxton Jones scored 14, and Jordan Frazier added 12 for Garden City, which handed the Saints their seventh straight loss. Charles Chukwu recorded eight points and nine boards in 25 minutes.

After trailing by two early, Robinson maneuvered away from a double team in front of the Seward County bench before drifting

to the left corner and sticking a step back 3-pointer to give the Broncbusters a 14-12 advantage.

A few minutes later, Robinson connected on another long ball, this time from the right sideline to stretch the lead to five. They were up by five at the break.

Robinson opened the second half with a 25-foot bomb from straight away, Tut spun around Lovasoa Andriatsarafara for a layup, and Garden City had its first double-digit lead of the afternoon.

The Saints got within six with four minutes to go before Jones hit a tough floater over the outstretched arms of Andriatsarafara and Tut twisted inside for an off-balance layup to stretch the lead back to nine.

6-19 overall and 4-15 in the Jayhawk.

vsCity, KS-Even on an off-shooting night,

were

The sophomore guard had 12 assists and nine rebounds, Braxton Jones poured in 21 points, and Garden City completed a season sweep of Coffeyville with a 69-58 victory.

The Broncbusters improved to 17-10 overall and 13-8 in conference.

Thomas Tut produced 12 points, seven boards, and five assists, and Charles Chukwu finished with 10 points and seven boards for Garden City, which won its second straight game.

Rusty Elmore’s team led from start to finish. They raced out to a 7-2 lead; then stretched it to double digits following Jordan Frazier’s made triple that put Garden City ahead, 19-9 nine minutes into the game. Jones hit back-to-back pullup 3-pointers, and Garden City was up by 14.

But the Red Ravens managed to keep things close, surging back with a 9-0 run to pull to within five.

Garden City was up 36-31 at the break.

Robinson, who was the main distributor on a night where he shot 3-of-10 from the field, located Jones for a left-wing 3 two minutes into the second half. The next time down, he whipped a perfect pass to Frazier, who buried a trey from the corner to make it 42-33. That was followed by a perfect pocket pass to Tut, who powered his way to the rim for a two-handed jam to give Elmore’s bunch a 10-point cushion.

Frazier and Jones connected on back-to-back triples, Robinson setup Isaiah Dixon for a 14-foot baseline jumper, Chukwu rattled the rim with a two-handed stuff, and Robinson hit a 3 from the left corner, giving Garden City a 63-49 edge with 3:57 remaining.

Dixon scored eight points off the bench for Garden City, which swept Coffeyville for the first time in more than 15 years. Frazier finished with nine points and four assists.

Brian Griffith scored 25 points in 37 minutes for Coffeyville, which lost its second straight game to fall to 10-16 overall and 6-14 in conference play.

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Jordan Frazier finished with 12 points for Garden City.

Mathias M’Madi tallied with 24 points and eight rebounds for Seward County, which fell to

Garden

Brody Robinson’s fingerprints

all over this one.

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the Jayhawk. Hunter Duncan had 18 points, nine

free throws made it 50-43 with nine minutes to go, answered with 11 straight points including back-toback triples by Frazier and Robinson that gave Garden City a 51-50 advantage. Moments later, Tut powered through Myles Thompson for and and-1 layup that

But neither team could break away.

There were six lead changes over the final eight minutes. Frazier’s two free throws put the Broncbusters up 63-61 with 2:08 om the clock. But Keandre Kindell answered on the other end with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Cougars a one-point edge. Lajae Jones then added a pair of free throws to make it 66-63 with just over a minute remaining.

Garden City was down 68-65 with less than 20 seconds to play. That’s when Head Coach, Rusty Elmore

And the sophomore delivered.

But following a Broncbuster timeout, Downing-

Rivers drove the length of the floor before beating Jones to the block and floating a banker over the outstretched arms of Charles Chukwu to put Barton ahead, 70-68. The Broncbusters, which dropped to 17-11 overall and 13-9 in conference, was the more aggressive team from the jump, building an eight-point lead 12 minutes into the first half after Frazier knocked down a trey from the left corner.

Thompson, who dominated the first meeting in Garden City back in December, had 15 points and nine rebounds for Barton, which won their 17th straight game to improve to 26-1 overall and 20-1 in the Jayhawk. Jones added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Cooper Jackson scored 11 on 4-of-9 shooting.

Garden City never trailed in the game. They raced out to an 11-2 lead and were up 16-4 after Isaiah Dixon’s second-chance bucket with 13

Dodge City answered with a 20-12 run that pulled them to within four with 7:35 on the clock. The Broncbusters led by six at the break. With the game hanging there for the first few minutes of the second half, Elmore’s bunch finally

Leading by four, Robinson, who finished 14of-17 at the line, sank two free throws, Dixon shoveled a pass to Tut for a layup, Jones drilled a long 3-pointer, and Garden City was up 59-45 on the heels of a 16-6 run. They stretched the lead to as many as 17 after another Jones’ jump shot made it

Garden City, KS-It’s amazing how quickly momentum can shift.

Dadrevius Weathers poured in 27 points on 13of-17 shooting, John-Paul Ricks added 18 points and nine assists, and Hutchinson stormed past Garden City, 96-78 Wednesday night at Conestoga Arena. The Broncbusters finished the regular season 18-12 and 14-10 in conference play. They will host Seward County in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The loss spoiled another magnificent performance by Brody Robinson, who recorded a 25-point, 10-assist double-double in 38 minutes for Garden City. He was 8-of-14 from the field and 7-of-7 at the line.

And to think what could have been.

After a bit of an uneven start, Garden City built a five-point lead thanks to Elijah Roberts’ contested 3-pointer and Charles Chukwu’s spinning layup that made it 31-26 with 5:55 to go in the first half.

Playoffs BroncbusterslosetoHutchin regular-seasonfinale

Moments later, Robinson canned a triple to give the Broncbusters their largest lead of the night, 34-28.

But the Blue Dragons, which improved to 25-5 overall and 20-4 in conference play, trimmed the deficit to two before the break.

Then the fireworks happened.

With less than 10 minutes to go in the game, Garden City Head Coach, Rusty Elmore was given a technical foul. Moments later, he was ejected, sending the Broncbusters into a tailspin that they never recovered from.

When the veteran coach was sent to the locker room, Garden City was down 68-64. From there, it was a Blue Dragon avalanche as Tommy DeSalme’s team outscored the Broncbusters 28-14 over the final 9:58.

Braxton Jones, who appeared to roll his ankle late in the second half, finished with 19 points and five assists for the Broncbusters, which lost for the second time in their last three games. Thomas Tut

GardenCityusesbig secondhalftoadvance

the Broncbusters flipped the switch.

Braxton Jones, who missed the entire first half and wasn’t expected to play at all because of a foot injury, checked into the game with 19:15 remaining in the second half. And although he only scored four points, the emotional lift it provided his teammates was palpable.

Thomas Tut scored 25 points and pulled down a season-best 17 rebounds, Brody Robinson finished one assist shy of a triple double, and Garden City advanced to the second round of the Region VI Tournament with a 78-65 victory over Seward County.

Garden City (19-12, 14-10), which looked a bit deflated in the first half, led for less than 10 seconds in the opening period and trailed by seven at the intermission. But with head coach, Rustly Elmore sitting at home watching while serving a one-game suspension, the Broncbusters needed a spark. That’s when the decision was made to get Jones onto the floor. And following a loud ovation when the sophomore guard entered early in the second half,

Garden City, which held Seward County scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half, opened the period on a 10-0 run to take a 41-38 advantage. They never trailed again.

Tut converted a pair of contested layups; then took a Robinson chest pass and hammered home a two-handed dunk, Isaiah Dixon tipped in Tut’s missed bunny at the rim, and Robinson snaked inside for an off-balance banker. Charles Chukwu added a twofoot floater, Jones hit a 15-footer just left of the foul line; then followed with a pair of free throws, and Garden City was up 71-63 with 1:30 to go. It was all part of a second-half surge in which the Broncbusters outscored the Saints, 47-27 to take control of the game.

Robinson tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists for Garden City, which beat Seward County for the third time this season.

Mathias M’Madi paced the Saints with 20 points

GOBRONCBUSTERS.COM

Garden City, KS-One subtle substitution changed everything on Saturday.

ELIJAH ROBERTS

the other end at the horn. The wide-open bunny rolled off the rim as Head Coach, Rusty Elmore

In overtime, Garden City took a 78-74 after Chukwu’s rim-rattling dunk and Tut’s two free throws. But the Blue Dragons eventually took the lead, thanks again to Thomas, who drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 82-81.

Still, the Broncbusters had every chance to put this one away, and after Jones knocked down two free throws, Garden City led 87-84 with 24 seconds

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story. Thomas made a quick layup on Hutchinson’s ensuing possession to trim the deficit to one. Moments later, Tut clanged two free throws, setting up Thomas’ game winner, a shot that may have been a hair after the buzzer sounded. But it never went to review, and instead, the Blue Dragons celebrated one of the craziest finishes of

Garden City missed 12 free throws (27-of-39) and shot just 40 percent from the field. They were 6-of-18 from 3 and were outrebounded, 51-50.

the line (62 percent). They were 11-of-28 on 3s and shot 49 percent from the floor. But it was their defense that stole the show forcing 41 turnovers that led directly to 48 points.

“We want to be able extend our press a little more,” Franklin said. “We just don’t have enough kids right now, and we can’t afford to get into foul trouble.”

Despite playing with just seven players, Garden City was never challenged. They jumped out to a 22-2 lead on Maya Nieto’s long 3-pointer and were up 28-6 after one. They forced 15 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the contest.

Moultire buried a midrange jumper to open the second, Nieto found Ana Ramos-Pires for a driving layup, and Opal Hardy scored on a second-chance bucket following Driessen’s missed layup to give the Broncbusters a 40-10 advantage with 5:18 left in the half. Garden City led 53-19 at the intermission.

“We have to keep people in the game.

Yancy, who flirted with a triple-double, drilled a 3-pointer with 6:15 left in the third to make it 60-24. She followed that with a perfect bounce pass to Nieto, who canned a trey from the left wing. It was all part of one of the best floor games the sophomore has produced in 26 career games in a Garden City uniform.

“I spoke to Coach G before the season started, and I really liked his mission,” Yancy said. “I feel like he can get me where I want to go. I have totally bought into him.”

The Broncbusters finished 11-of-28 from downtown and outrebounded Lamar, 36-29.

Darling Harris paced the Lopes with nine points in 33 minutes off the bench.

“We’ve got a good group, but we just have to watch out for those ticky-tack fouls,” Franklin said.

Jennifer Jaramillo slipped free for a layup, Sharneal Polk drove the baseline for two, and Nyla Owens rattled home a pair of free throws to put Otero up, 40-27 with 7:05 remaining in the third.

“We definitely didn’t make it easy on ourselves,” Franklin admitted.

Garden City, which played a good portion of the second half without Driessen, who picked up her fourth foul midway through the third, stormed back, closing the quarter on a 15-2 run capped by Sariah Conley’s transition layup and and Stevi Yancy’s drive and finish that put the Broncbusters up, 45-42 going to the fourth.

After missing a point-blank layup, Driessen redeemed herself once she stole the ball in the backcourt; then slipped a pocket pass to Opal Hardy, who banked home a two-footer to give Garden City a 50-48 advantage with 6:11 remaining in the fourth. It was the freshman’s lone bucket of the night.

“We have to learn to limit our mistakes,” Franklin said. “Because there isn’t a lot of margin for error because of our numbers.”

Once Otero responded with five straight points, Conley provided a big answer on the other end, beating both Anna Cera Curiel and Hedda Kohne to the rim for an off-balance layup that pulled the visitors to within one. On the Broncbusters ensuing possession, Pires used a beautiful spin move before finishing with a pretty left-handed floater to give Garden City a 54-53 lead with 3:47 to play. After Owens 21-footer rattled out for Otero, Yancy buried two free throws to put the Broncbusters up three.

“It’s a good win, but we have so many things to clean up,” Franklin added.

Pires and Moultie, who each played 40 minutes, combined to go 14-of-20 at the line for Garden City. Pires added seven rebound and two steals.

Gia Bradley paced the Rattlers with 18 points, and Katia Nekic had 14 on 5-of-12 shooting.

right by December.”

ShorthandedBroncbusters falltoNo.5NewMexico

La Junta, CO-Through two and half quarters on Saturday, Garden City had the fifth-ranked team in the country on the ropes.

Then attrition set in in the second half.

Three Broncbuster players fouled out over the final 20 minutes, leaving first-year Head Coach, Greg Franklin with just four available as the Broncbusters fell to New Mexico, 81-59 at the McDivitt Center on the second day of the Otero College Classic.

“This one is on me,” Franklin said. “I didn’t have us ready for their zone.”

Pania Davis scored 28 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, and Amyah Sutton chipped in 17 points for New Mexico, which improved to 2-0 on the season.

“We ran out of gas in the fourth quarter,” Franklin added.

The Broncbusters, who closed the first half on an 8-2 run to take a 37-32 lead at the break, went up by eight, 52-44 following a pair of Maya Nieto free throws with 2:16 remaining in the third. Then In the final

period, Ana Ramos Pires dished to a cutting Antonicia Moultrie, who floated it in from five feet out to make it 56-51 Garden City with 8:50 to play.

“We did a lot of really good things in this game,” Franklin said.

It was all New Mexico from there.

The Thunderbirds, who took advantage of Garden City’s foul trouble, blitzed the shorthanded Broncbusters, 30-4 over the final 8:40. Then, with a little over a minute to go, Sierra Driessen was whistled for a questionable fourth foul. After a slight protest, she was given a technical, disqualifying her from the game and forcing the Broncbusters to play the final 60 seconds down one player.

“It’s unfortunate, but we will get things figured out,” Franklin said.

Pires scored 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting for Garden City, which dropped to 2-1 overall. Moultire added 12 points and five boards, and Stevi Yancy had 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Broncbustersfightthroughfoul troubletodownNOCTonkawa

Enid, OK-The seven players Greg Franklin had available for the first three games of the season, quickly dwindled to six just hours before tipoff on Friday.

But with a national championship winning coach in tow, the roster size didn’t matter much.

Without Opal Hardy, who was sidelined with an undisclosed illness, Sierra Driessen took charge, scoring 12 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, Ana Ramos Pires chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds, and Garden City beat Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa, 63-57 at the Mabee Center.

“This one feels really good, but I felt like we could have played harder and with more energy,” Driessen said afterwards. “Considering we played with just six players, we played pretty decent.”

The Broncbusters shot just 34 percent from the field and turned the ball over 19 times. But they made 11-of-15 from the line including 4-of-5 down the stretch.

“We really needed to pick up our intensity in that fourth quarter,” Driessen said. “We should have never

GAME3 GAME4

been in a close game, but we just needed more energy.” Garden City, which improved to 3-1 on the season, could never really pull away. They were up one at the end of one and took a three-point lead into the intermission. And it didn’t help matters that Ramos picked up her third foul midway through the second period.

Ramos returned and played every minute of the second half despite picking up her fourth foul early in the final quarter. She was one of three Broncbusters who played with four for a good portion of the second half.

Still, Garden City found a way. Ramos made a layup off a pretty Sariah Conley assist, Stevi Yancy nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and the visitors were up six going to the fourth. Yancy converted a driving layup three minutes into the final period, and Driessen got around Keely Hussey for 2, giving the Broncbusters their largest lead of the afternoon, 53-44 with six minutes to go.

“In that type of situation with foul trouble, you still have to find a way to be aggressive,” Franklin said. “You

Antonicia Moultire poured in 22 points, Maya Nieto drilled six 3-pointers off the bench, and the Broncbusters destroyed Lamar, 82-42 Tuesday night

Garden City hit 10 3s, marking the second time this season they connected on double-digit triples.

Leading by three after one, the Broncbusters exploded in the second. Sierra Driessen stole the ball from Melissa Hermosillo; then found Ana Ramos Pires for a layup igniting a 17-0 run that was capped by Driessen’s two free throws that made it 33-13 with 6:27 left in the half. It was all part of a quarter in which Garden City outscored Lamar, 24-11 to take a 40-24 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Stevi Yancy drilled a 3-pointer from

the left corner to put the visitors up, 52-29. Pires followed that up by splitting two defenders and finishing with a pretty left-handed layup high off the glass, and Nieto beat the Lopes’ 2-3 zone with a corner triple, giving Garden City a 26-point edge.

The Broncbusters outscored Lamar, 42-18 over the final 20 minutes.

Pires finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Garden City, which improved to 3-1 away from home. Nieto had 18 points in 27 minutes, and Yancy and Sariah Conley each chipped in nine.

Leah Delgarito was the only Lamar player in double figures with 11.

City, KS-For the most part, Garden City looked sharp in its first conference game of the

Sierra Driessen poured in 29 points, Antonicia Moultrie posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and the Broncbusters raced past Colby,

“I just felt like we had some good momentum while we were on the floor,” Driessen said afterwards. “This was a very big game because it was the first conference game. So, I felt like we

Opal Hardy chipped in 10 points in 19 minutes off the bench for Garden City, which improved to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Broncbusters shot 42 percent from the field and outrebounded the Trojans, 33-32. They scored 27

“There were times in this game that we just had a lack of intensity and a lack of maturity, Head

That wasn’t the case in the first half when Garden City outpaced Colby, 46-17 and shot 47

percent from the floor. In fact, Franklin’s bunch scored the first 14 points of the game before Stella McIntyre’s free throw with 3:18 to go in the first finally got the Trojans on the board. Garden City was up 23-5 after one and took a 20-point lead after Driessen buried two freebies early in the second period.

But Garden City made some youthful mistakes in the second half allowing Colby to make things interesting.

“We have to keep our momentum because sometimes we get down on ourselves,” Driessen explained.

The freshman’s two free throws gave Garden City’s its largest lead of the day, 50-17 with 9:39 to go in the third. But the Trojans stormed back, using a 23-8 run to end the quarter to cut the lead to 18.

Then, in the final period, Sofia Lopez made a driving layup, Victoria Moreno drained two free throws, and Noella Biduaya rattled home a midrange jumper, trimming Garden City’s advantage to 62-50 with 6:22 to play.

“We lost that lead because of a lack of maturity,” Franklin said. “These players have to be able to take

constructive criticism, and then you have to move on.”

The Trojans made it an 11-point game when Sophie Bennett beat Ana Ramos Pires to the basket for a three-point play to make it 64-53 with 4:59 on the clock. It was Pires’s fifth foul.

“In the second half, we didn’t make it about the team,” Franklin stated. “It was about individuals.”

That’s as close as Colby got the rest of the way. Hardy banked in a six-footer in the paint, and Stevi Yancy swished a triple from the wing, pushing the lead back to 16.

Perez scored 10 points in 22 minutes off the bench for Colby, which dropped to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the Jayhawk. As a team, the Trojans shot just 39 percent from the floor.

Garden

Concordia, KS-This was the one that slipped

Destiny Smith drilled a 26-foot 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds to play, Josephine Igherighe finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Cloud County handed Garden City its first loss of the season, 58-54 Wednesday night at Arley Bryant

Sierra Driessen scored 16 points for Garden City, but she was just 6-of-17 from the field and turned the ball over eight times. As a team, the Broncbusters had 25 giveaways, tied for the second

And the look on Head Coach Greg Franklin’s face

Driessen’s layup with 3:50 remaining in the third quarter gave Garden City a 39-31 lead. But the Broncbusters managed just one field goal the rest of the period as Cloud County used a 10-3 run to pull

That’s where the game slipped away.

In that deciding final period, Garden City (8-1, 3-1) missed 13 of their 18 shots and turned the ball over six times. They went the first 3:30 without a field goal and were outscored 17-12. Still, after Maya Nieto answered Igherighe’s 3-pointer with a triple on the other end, Garden City was up 54-51 with 3:22 remaining. They never scored again.

Sarah Lawless drained two free throws, Igherighe turned Antonicia Moultrie’s turnover into the go-ahead layup, and Smith beat the shot-clock buzzer with her lone 3-pointer of the night.

Moultrie netted 10 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for Garden City, which shot just 36 percent and was 3-of-16 from beyond the arc. Ana Ramos Pires had 11 points and nine boards before fouling out late in the fourth quarter, and Yancy was had seven points in 32 minutes.

Darcy Lierz finished with 13 points for Cloud

biggest

Sierra Driessen scored 18 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, Stevi Yancy hit five 3-pointers, and Garden City erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Cowley, 64-59 at W.S. Scott Auditorium.

“I have to stop overthinking things,” Head Coach, Greg Franklin said afterwards. “We have seven kids right now, and I tried to put us in a matchup, man-toman zone. This was probably closer than it should have been, but blame me for that because again, too much

Ana Ramos Pires added 12 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the final minute for Garden City, which improved to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in

The Broncbusters won the game despite a 3-point barrage from Cowley, which hit 10-of-19 from beyond the arc. But Garden City tightened things up, especially over the final 10 minutes, forcing 28 turnovers that led to 26 points.

A 27-5 Cowley run turned a six-point Garden City advantage into a 55-39 deficit after Jaiden Smith knocked down a deep 2-pointer over Maya Nieto with 5:40 remaining in the fourth.

Instead of calling a timeout, Franklin implored his team to keep playing. Pires knocked down a free throw, Driessen stole the ball from Ndack Mbengue before finishing with a twisting layuyp, Antonicia Moultrie made a driving runner in the paint following another Cowley turnover, and Garden City was down 11.

After a Tiger timeout, Neito nailed a jump shot, Yancy turned a missed layup on one end into a triple from the wing on the other, and Driessen hit a 12 footer in the paint, pulling Garden City to within three, 55-52 with 3:16 to play.

Moultrie followed Driessen’s missed layup with a two-foot banker, and Yancy banked in a layup following another steal by Driessen, polishing off a 17-0 run that put Garden City up 56-55 with 2:18 on the clock. 17 points in just over three minutes.

“For us to come back on the road like this against a very well-coached team in Cowley, it tells me that our kids our really growing,” Franklin said.

Once Cowley went back up by one after two free throws by Hattie Pyle, Nieto gave the Broncbusters the lead for good with a two-handed push shot off the window. Driessen added a floater from just inside the foul line; then made a layup to give Garden City a 62-57 cushion with 38 seconds remaining.

“We figured some things out down the stretch, and we found a way,” Franklin said.

Garden City, which is off to their best start since beginning the 2012-13 campaign 15-0, shot 43 percent from the floor. They were 11-of-18 (61 percent) in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Tigers 27-18 over the final 10 minutes.

Anna Przyszlak paced Cowley (7-4, 1-4) with 18 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes for Cowley. Aiyanna Big Man chipped in 15 points and was 3-of-4 from deep off the bench.

County, which snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in conference. Maimouna Sissoko added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Arkansas City, KS-Season-defining wins don’t normally happen in December. But Saturday’s comeback victory may go down as one of the

vsShorthandedBroncobusters losetoButlerathome

Garden City, KS-Stick around long enough, and you’ll see something you’ve never seen before.

Without their two starting guards, Sierra Driessen and Sariah Conley, the Broncbusters suited up just six players. Eventually, thanks to a myriad of fouls, Garden City was forced to play two-on-five for the final 3:57.

So, in essence, mark this down as one of the most bizarre college basketball games in recent history.

Freddie Wallace finished with 17 points, Dayuna Colvin chipped in 15 points and four steals, and No. 3 Butler beat Garden City, 89-55 Wednesday night at Conestoga Arena.

Jada Hopson had 11 points and Randi Harding scored 10 for Butler, which improved to 11-0 and 5-0 in conference.

Antonicia Moultrie finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, and four steals for Garden City, which dropped to 9-2 overall and 4-2 in the

GAME11:december6,2023

Jayhawk. Stevi Yancy had 14 points but was just 4-of-15 from the field.

With Driessen sidelined because of injury, Garden City struggled mightily on offense. They shot 32 percent from the field and were 6-of-23 (26 percent) from 3-point land.

The Grizzlies jumped out to an 11-1 advantage and were up 24 following Colvin’s three-point play that made it 34-10 at the end of one. They pushed the lead to 31 midway through the second on Anna Eldridge’s baseline jumper polishing off a first half in which Butler shot 61 percent from the field. They were up 52-23 going into the locker room.

Now the second half, that’s where things got interesting.

Garden City Head Coach, Greg Franklin was ejected with 5:53 to go in the third. Then, Ana Ramos Pires, who logged just 14 minutes, fouled out two minutes after that. Maya Nieto was whistled for her fifth with 22 seconds left in the third, meaning

Garden City played a man down for the final 10 minutes plus.

It didn’t stop there.

Opal Hardy became the third foul casualty with 6:20 remaining in the game. She was followed by Stevi Yancy, who committed her fifth with 3:57 to go.

Garden City, which produced its second lowest scoring output of the season, was outrebounded, 42-27 and outscored, 52-22 in the paint.

vsConleyleadsfourindoublefiguresas GardenCityrollsintotheChristmasbreak

GAME12:december9,2023

buried a 3-pointer in transition, igniting a 17-0 run that put the Broncbusters up 27-12 with 2:19 to play in the first. It was all part of a 36-point opening frame where the Broncbusters shot 61 percent and were 5-of-9 from deep.

Broncbusters also dished out a season-high 27 assists on 33 made baskets.

Conley, who missed each of the last two games, finished 7-of-12 from the field and was 4-of-5 from downtown, mixing in seven assists, three rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes. Stevi Yancy scored 18, and Carly Lang pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds.

“I have really been working on my shot,” Conley said afterwards. “Now it’s about keeping that going for the rest of the year.”

Even without their starting point guard, Sierra Driessen, Garden City made easy work of the Mavericks. Trailing 12-10 four minutes into the game, the Broncbuster offense awoke. Antonicia Moultrie found Ana Ramos Pires on a high-low exchange for a two-footer in the paint, and Conley

“I was extremely confident on my 3-point shot,” Conley explained. “I have been working on that shot for the longest time.”

Conley buried her first four triples of the game including a 25-footer that gave Garden City (10-2, 5-2) its largest lead of the first half, 46-18 with 7:07 to go. They were up 21 at the break.

“We needed to lockdown defensively,” Assistant Coach, Brad Zinn said. “We needed to play our game, and not be rushed and not do stuff that’s uncharacteristic of us.”

Garden City, which built their lead to as many as 38 points in the final 20 seconds on a Pires’ layup, shot 49 percent from the floor and a hit a season-best 14 3-pointers. It was the third time this year that they had 10 or more in a game. The

Serena Lee scored 14 points for Northwest Tech, which dropped to 1-9 overall and 0-6 in conference play. Alexzandria Thompson tallied 12 points and four assists.

Garden City, KS-Welcome back Sariah Conley. The freshman guard scored 24 points, Ana Ramos Pires also netted 24 in 30 efficient minutes on the floor, and Garden City rolled into the Christmas break with a 92-54 victory over Northwest Tech.

BUSTERS

always will,” Franklin added. “But I’m not going to bail this team out when they don’t play hard. We didn’t play hard, and Seward County was tougher than us.”

The Broncbusters, which dropped to 10-3 overall and 5-3 in the Jayhawk, looked off from the jump. They were slow on defensive rotations and failed to box out on numerous occasions, leading to the most sizable rebounding disparity in a single game this season. In fact, the Saints had five of their 12 offensive boards in the first 10 minutes of the game, helping the visitors build a seven-point cushion after one.

“We will need to find ourselves here over the next couple of days,” Franklin said emphatically. “And I promise you that we will find it with some very spirited practices.”

Garden City managed to find their footing in the second quarter, using an 11-1 run capped by Conley’s step back 3-pointer that pulled the Broncbusters to within one, 32-31 with 1:27 to play in the half. They

were down only four at the break.

“We need to find out who wants it and who wants to be here,” Franklin said. “We will find that out over the next couple of days.”

But the Broncbusters lost contact in the third.

A three-minute scoring drought which saw Seward County rattled off seven straight points, pushed the Saints’ lead back to 11. They were up 10 after three and took a 15-point advantage following Rosalzez’s triple from the top of the key that made it 68-53 with 3:17 to play.

Garden City lost the game despite scoring 32 points off 29 Saints’ turnovers. But they allowed Seward County to shoot 50 percent from the floor and were outscored, 38-30 in the paint.

attempts in 39 minutes and finished with 11.

Ivy Fox scored 14 for the Red Ravens, which won for the third time in its last four games to improve to 11-3 overall and 6-2 in league play.

Following Ana Ramos-Pires’ layup that gave Garden City a 5-4 lead, Ortiz answered right back with a 3-pointer from the wing to put Coffeyville in front. The Red Ravens never trailed again as the Broncbusters managed just a single bucket over the final 6:30 of the opening quarter.

They trailed by six after one and were down nine once Bailey Layman canned an open 3-pointer following a late Broncbuster rotation to make it 3021 with 4:43 to go in the half. Coffeyville was up 3423 at the intermission.

Garden City stayed within striking distance for much of the second half, pulling to within six after Sariah Conley found Antonicia Moultrie for a driving layup to make it 47-41 with 3:17 remaining. But with a chance to trim the deficit to four on the ensuing possession, Driessen threw a pass behind a cutting Moultrie that would have been an easy layup.

Instead Ortiz stole the ball and outraced Garden City to the other end, converting an and-1 layup that gave the Red Ravens a 50-41 advantage with 2:10 to play.

Ortiz scored 15 points, and Layman added 10 in 33 minutes for Coffeyville. Natalya Jones grabbed eight rebounds off the bench.

Conley finished with 10 points but was just 3-of12 shooting for Garden City. Nobody off the bench scored.

Broncbustersfallathome

Garden City, KS-Another game, another decisive rebounding advantage for the opposition.

Vivian Onugha had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Vera Ojenuwa chipped in 14 and 11, and Barton thoroughly beat Garden City on the glass, 44-20 en route to a 63-53 victory Wednesday Night at Conestoga Arena.

It was the third straight game in which Garden City was outrebounded, two of those have been by 20 plus.

“We had some good shots, but we just didn’t knock them down,” Head Coach, Greg Franklin said. “We were outrebounded, 44-20 and only lost by 10, so that tells me we just aren’t very tough right now.”

Sierra Driessen scored 15 points in 38 minutes for the Broncbusters, which lost their third straight game to drop them to 10-5 overall and 5-5 in conference.

“We have to find ourselves and be a little tougher,” Franklin said. “We should never get outrebounded by 24.”

vs at

Broncbustersfourth-quarter pushfallsshortinDodgeCity

Dodge City, KS-This one was there for the taking.

Paris Santacaterina scored 17 points, Mia Jordan had 10 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks, and Dodge City outlasted Garden City, 8577 Wednesday night at the Student Activity Center.

Sierra Driessen scored 13 of her team-best 23 points in the fourth quarter for Garden City (10-6, 5-6), which trimmed a 16-point deficit down to five in the final period. Stevi Yancy added 16, and Antonicia Moultire grabbed 12 rebounds.

Greg Franklin is not into moral victories, but after his squad hung with No. 13 Dodge City after taking plenty of body blows for 40 minutes, it showed the veteran coach plenty.

The Conquistadors, which improved to 16-2 overall and 10-2 in league play, built a 16-point cushion after Shorna Preston drilled a midrange jumper to make it 57-41 with 3:12 remaining in the third.

But Garden City managed to stay in the game.

CURRENT RECORD: 10-5

BUSTERS

remaining in Division I, joining Northwest Florida

But it was the Broncbusters who looked like the better team early in this one.

Ana Ramos Pires made three layups to begin the game including a beautiful pirouette move, Driessen beat two defenders down the middle for a basket, and Garden City was up 10-3 halfway through the opening period. But Ramos Pires was forced to sit the final 15 minutes plus of the first half after picking up her third foul. The Broncbusters were up four after one and had a three-point cushion three

Hutchinson though took its first lead on Bree Hornya’s layup to make it 16-15 with 7:06 to go. They were up 25-24 at the break.

Then the wheels fell off in the third.

Garden City managed just a single bucket over the first four minutes of the period as Hutchinson hit the Broncbusters with a 15-2 run to take a 40-

26 advantage. Smith then buried a 3-pointer, and Peyton Mosley made a layup off an inbounds pass by Hornya, giving the Blue Dragons a 27-point advantage. They led by 25 after three.

Hutchinson shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded Garden City, 42-28. They had 18 assists on 31 made baskets.

Antonicia Moultire finished with two points, eight rebounds, and five assists for the Broncbusters. Sariah Conley had nine points.

Out of the break, Garden City showed signs of life but struggled to close the gap. Sierra Driessen led the way for the Broncbusters with 19 points, including a 7-for-14 shooting performance, and grabbed 1 rebound in a team-high 40 minutes of play. Antonicia Moultrie also contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds in a full 40-minute effort. However, Colby’s efficient offense, including strong shooting from beyond the arc (7-for-10 from 3-point range),

Garden City cut the lead to 47-41 at the end of the third quarter, but Colby answered with a strong final frame. The Trojans shot 85.7% from the field in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory with a 15-point effort in the final period.

Despite a late push, the Broncbusters couldn’t overcome the deficit, and Colby held on to win 62-56. Garden City’s struggles from long range (4for-20, 20%) and inconsistent free-throw shooting (53.3% on the night) ultimately proved costly in

Broncbusters will look to bounce back in their next matchup, as they seek to regain momentum in the conference race.

vs

Garden City, KS-Mereville Nkoyock made a strong case for best player in the Jayhawk.

Saturday’s box score provided more evidence.

The sophomore poured in 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in 40 minutes, Serenity Echols chipped in 18, and Independence held off Garden City, 58-54 at Conestoga Arena. It was the Broncbusters seventh straight loss, dropping them to 10-9 overall and 5-9 in league play.

Stevi Yancy paced Garden City with 15 points but was just 6-of-20 from the field. Sariah Conley had 13, and Antonicia Moultire tallied 11 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes.

The Pirates, which bounced back from a 20-point drubbing at the hands of Barton on Wednesday, led for the final 35 minutes of the game ripping off eight straight points to push in front for good after falling behind 5-0 to begin the contest. Nkoyock hit a 3, Echols followed with

GAME

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a long ball, and Nkoyock beat Moultrie for a layup to put the Pirates up by three.

Independence, which improved to 12-8 overall and 6-8 in the conference, led by one after one and was up three at the break. But it was the third quarter where the Pirates created some separation, building a 14-point lead on the heels of 16-5 run that was capped by Sunishka Kartik’s layup that made it 43-29 with 3:54 to go.

Greg Franklin’s team was down 10 entering the fourth and trailed 49-37 with 8:06 remaining. That’s when the Broncbusters made their run, responding with a 14-4 surge to pull within two, 53-51 with 1:59 on the clock.

But Garden City was held to just one field goal the rest of the way, Morane Dossou sank two game-clinching free throws, and the Pirates walked out of Conestoga Arena with their fifth road win of the season.

The Broncbusters shot just 31 percent from the floor and were just 4-of-24 from distance. They missed seven free throws (10-of-17) and turned the ball over 25 times.

atPratt, KS-It was another problematic third quarter for Garden City.

Princess Anderson scored 18 of her gamehigh 25 points in the second half, Pratt outscored Garden City 49-29 over the final 20 minutes, and the Beavers turned a 21-point deficit into a 78-72 victory over the Broncbusters Wednesday night at Dennis Lesh Arena.

Emily Acton nailed 4-of-8 3s and finished with 16 points for Pratt, which snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 9-11 overall and 4-11 in conference. Isis Sanders recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes.

Antonicia Moultrie scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds for Garden City, which dropped its eighth straight game. Stevi Yancy added 17 but scored just two points in the second half.

“The third quarter continues to be a problem,” Broncbuster Head Coach, Greg Franklin said. “It happens every game.”

Wednesday night was no exception.

Ramos-Pires knocked down a contested jumper in the paint to give Garden City a 50-29 advantage with 7:51 left in the third. But the Beavers answered with an avalanche, ripping off a 21-7 run to pull within 57-50 heading to the fourth.

The nightmare was just beginning.

Anderson made a free throw, Acton knocked down a left-corner 3, and Sanders connected from 13 feet to pull Pratt within three, 63-60 with 6:31 to go. Moments later, Celesta Teijema rattled home a triple from the wing to make it a one-point contest.

After Yancy gave Garden City a three-point cushion with a baseline jumper, Teijema hit a again, this time from inside the foul line. Anderson followed with a pair of free throws, and after Moultrie split a pair at the stripe at the other end to tie the game at 72 with 40 seconds left, it was Anderson, giving the Beavers the lead for good with a 10-foot banker over the outstretched arms of Sierra Driessen to make it 74-72 with 18 seconds remaining.

Garden City (10-10, 5-10) had a golden chance to take the lead on their ensuing possession, but Yancy misfired on a 3-pointer from the left wing. Acton and Anderson combined to sink four free throws in the final seconds, and Pratt handed the Broncbusters a stunning defeat.

It was a tale of two halves, literally for Garden City. The Broncbusters were up six after one and led by 14 at the break. They then scored the first seven points of the third to open up their largest lead of the night.

Garden City shot 43 percent from the field for the game but was just 11-of-31 (35 percent) in the second half. They were outrebounded, 43-29 and surrendered 17 offensive

GOBRONCBUSTERS.COM

Ana

ANA RAMOS PIRES

BUSTERS

Garden City improved to 11-10 overall and 6-10 in

Sariah Conley scored 14 and Antonicia Moultrie chipped in nine points, 11 rebounds, and three steals for Garden City, which won its first game since Dec. 9. Ana Ramos Pires had a game-high 12 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

The Broncbusters never trailed in this one, building a four-point lead after one before Conley’s 3-pointer with 49 seconds left in the half put the home team up 37-25. They were up 11 at the

Early in the second half, Yancy drilled a triple from the top of the key; then beat two defenders to the paint for a floater, Driessen slashed inside for a layup before connecting on a 14-foot baseline jumper, and Garden City had a 14-point edge. Maya Nieto followed later in the period with a buzzerbeating rainbow 3, and the Broncbusters were up 58-41 heading to the fourth.

Garden City shot 52 percent from the field and 8-of-22 (36 percent) from downtown. They outrebounded the Thunderbirds, 32-31 and produced 22 assists on their 29 made field goals. They also forced 19 Cloud County turnovers. Josephine Igherighe scored 26 points for the Thunderbirds, which lost their second straight game. Bailey Burns chipped in 14 points, and Maimouna Sissoko had 11 rebounds.

3 for Garden City, which improved to 12-10 overall and 7-10 in the Jayhawk. Ana Ramos Pires chipped in 14 points, and Sierra Driessen scored 13.

Hattie Pyle finished with 21 points, nine assists, and four rebounds for Cowley, which lost its fifth

“I thought we shared the ball really well,” Franklin explained. “I think we are figuring out how to finish games collectively instead of by ourselves.”

For the most part, Garden City controlled this game, scoring the first five points of the contest before building a 17-8 lead following Antonicia Moultrie’s 15-foot jumper. They were up four after one and pushed the advantage to 10 following Maya Nieto’s triple off a pretty Sierra Driessen assist that made it 33-23 with 4:47 remaining.

“It feels really good because we’ve been putting in the work in practice,” Moultrie said. “

The Tigers managed to respond with a 12-2 run to end the half closing within two, 37-35 at the

Garden City ramped things up over the final 20

minutes.

Using a tenacious half court, pressure defense, the Broncbusters scored 27 points off 25 Cowley turnovers, turning a close game into a runaway. And after trailing by two entering the fourth, Garden City finished the job, responding with an 18-4 surge capped by a Conley driving layup and subsequent 3-pointer from the wing that gave Greg Franklin’s squad a 69-55 advantage with 2:10 remaining.

“If we can keep improving like we have the past two games, it says a lot,” Franklin added. “It’s a process.”

Garden City shot 50 percent or better from the field (50.9) for a second consecutive game, the first time all season they accomplished that feat. They were 9-of-23 from downtown and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. They had 24 assists and 34 points in the paint.

Butlerpowerspast GardenCity

El Dorado, KS-The first time these two teams met, the Broncbusters played the final four minutes of the game with only two players on the floor.

And while Saturday’s contest was much closer than that early December game, the result was the same.

Freddie Wallace had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Dayuna Colvin chipped in 17 points, and Butler held off Garden City, 57-50 at the Power Plant. The loss dropped the Broncbusters to 12-11 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

Antonicia Moultrie was the lone Garden City player in double figures with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and seven steals. Stevi Yancy scored eight but was just 3-of-13 from the floor.

Butler, which improved to 19-4 overall and 13-4 in conference, dominated the boards, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and outscoring Garden City, 18-2 in second-chance points. The

Grizzlies outrebounded the Broncbusters, 44-37.

Garden City started strong, jumping out to an 8-3 lead after back-to-back buckets by Moultrie.

But Butler responded with an 11-2 run and led 14-11 after one.

After Garden City returned the favor with a 9-4 spurt to regain the lead 20-18 on Yancy’s transition layup, the Broncbusters went stone cold, failing to score over the final 5:44 of the first half. They trailed 26-20 at the break.

Greg Franklin’s team managed to erase an eight-point third quarter deficit and tied the game at 34 when Yancy made 1-of-2 at the line. But they were still down after three, and then lost Sierra Driessen to an ankle injury early in the final period.

Butler took full advantage after that.

Wallace made an easy layup, and Colvin knifed inside for a three-footer off the glass to put the Grizzlies up, 50-43 with 5:43 to play.

Nietodrops33asBroncbusters finishoffNorthwestTech

The freshman guard, who channeled her inner Steph Curry on Wednesday night (ironically, he is her favorite player), drilled seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-best 33 points as Garden City completed a season sweep of the Mavericks with an 80-68 victory at Max Jones Fieldhouse. Nieto has now made 11 triples in two games vs. the Northwest Tech this season. She finished just two triples shy of Kavita Akula’s single-game mark.

Garden City, which improved to 13-11 overall and 8-11 in conference play, won for the third time in their last four games. Sariah Conley had 11, and Sierra Driessen added 11 points, eight steals, and seven rebounds.

But this was Nieto’s show.

The Missouri-native connected on back-to-back long balls midway through the first quarter to give the Broncbusters an 18-9 advantage. She scored 10 points in the opening period; then made two free

GAME23 GAME24

throws halfway through the second to give Greg Franklin’s team a 33-22 lead. They were up 11 at the break.

The freshman though really got going in the third.

After Northwest Tech trimmed the Broncbuster lead to four, Nieto rattled home a 3 to stretch it back to seven. Two possessions later, Nieto peeled left off a down screen and swished a 25-footer. She added another triple to push the lead to nine; then knocked down a midrange jumper to give Garden City an 11- point edge.

The Broncbusters led by eight going to the fourth and were back up 11 once Nieto canned her seventh trey of the night, a 26-foot rainbow that touched nothing but net.

The Mavericks never got any closer than seven the rest of the way.

Stevi Yancy finished with six points, seven rebounds, and four assists for Garden City, which won the game despite shooting only 37 percent.

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Goodland, KS-Maya Nieto wouldn’t mind seeing Northwest Tech a lot more.

MAYA NIETO

BUSTERS

Jan. 15, 2015. vs. Colby that Seward County didn’t hit a 3-pointer in a game-ending a streak of 221

The Broncbusters, which led 23-18 at the break, opened the second half by scoring the first eight points. Allie Myers’ pass to the top of the key was intercepted by Driessen, who glided in for an easy two-handed layup, Ana Ramos-Pires used a beautiful drop step in the paint to sneak past a double team, Moultrie exploded down the right baseline for an uncontested deuce, and Yancy turned another Seward County turnover into a transition layup, putting Garden City in front, 31-18 with 5:17

The Broncbusters outscored the Saints, 18-6 in the quarter and stretched their lead to 19 three minutes into the fourth on Yancy’s second chance

Ramos-Pires had six points, eight boards, and two blocks for Garden City, which won for the fourth

straight time in Liberal. Sariah Conley added six points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Xoe Rosalez finished with 11 points and seven boards for Seward County, which dropped its second straight contest to fall to 14-11 overall and 10-9 in league play. Myers tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Garden City pushed the lead to as many as 15 two minutes into the third period on a beautiful slip pass from Nieto to Ramos Pires that made it 36-21. They were up 11 heading to the fourth.

But foul trouble nearly cost the Broncbusters

Sierra Driessen fouled out with 7:08 remaining. Moments later, after the freshman guard pounded her hand into the padding behind the backboard out of frustration, she was whistled for a technical

Coffeyville, which dropped to 17-9 overall and 12-8 in conference, cashed in after that, utilizing a 12-4 run capped by Natalya Jones’ driving layup that pulled the Red Ravens within four, 52-48 with

But after Franklin called timeout to settle his team down, Conley drained 11 straight free throws

The Broncbusters finished 25-of-28 at the line and were 4-of-10 from long range. They produced

13 assists and outrebounded Coffeyville, 28-27. Driessen scored just five points in 27 foulplagued minutes but dished out four assists and had two steals for Garden City. Kyleigh Ortiz and Ivy Fox each tallied 15 points for Coffeyville.

SARIAH CONLEY

at

Broncbustersstumblein GreatBend

Great Bend, KS-Garden City’s depth has been an issue all season.

Saturday was no exception.

Vera Ojenuwa had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Tatum Boettjer nailed five 3s, and Barton pushed past a depleted Broncbuster group, 50-41 at Barton gym. The loss dropped Garden City to 15-12 overall and 10-12 in conference play.

Sierra Driessen, who finished with just 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting, was one of four Broncbuster starters to log 40 minutes. Only Carly Lang saw time off the bench.

Greg Franklin’s bunch started strong, building an eight-point lead early in the second following a Cougar turnover, which Sariah Conley turned into a transition layup to make it 16-8 with 9:47 to go. But Barton flipped the script, responding with a 20-10 run to close the half capped by Darby Smith’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer, giving the home team a

28-26 lead going into the locker room.

But once again, the third quarter was Garden City’s undoing.

The Broncbusters managed just seven points and misfired on 8 of their 11 shots in the period as Barton took a 42-33 lead into the fourth.

Boettjer hit a momentum-shifting 3 90 seconds into the final stanza, and the Cougars had a 10-point edge.

After Driessen’s layup cut the deficit to six with 4:52 to go, the Broncbusters went the next 4:31 without a field goal. Only a Lang made layup with 20 seconds to go ended the scoring drought as Garden City mustered only 15 second-half points.

Maya Nieto finished with nine points but was just 3-of-14 shooting for Garden City, which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Antonicia Moultire added seven points and 12 rebounds.

vsBroncbusterstakedown No.14DodgeCity

City, KS-Greg Franklin delivered a statement win.

Maya Nieto scored 18 points in 26 minutes off the bench, Ana Ramos Pires tallied 14 points and six rebounds, and Garden City took down No. 14 Dodge City, 55-53 Saturday afternoon at Conestoga Arena.

The Broncbusters, which improved to 16-12 overall and 11-12 in conference play, kept their hopes alive of hosting a Region VI Tournament game next week, jumping up one spot to No. 6 in the standings with Wednesday’s regular-season finale vs. No. 1 Hutchinson looming.

“I’m so proud of these players,” Franklin said afterwards. “You’re not going to find a harder working team than this one.”

Antonicia Moultrie grabbed 12 rebounds for the Broncbusters, which snapped Dodge City’s fivegame winning streak. Sierra Driessen, who was limited to just 21 minutes because of foul trouble, had seven points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

This game had everything, including some major fireworks in the final couple of minutes.

Leading by eight with less than five minutes to go, Garden City had a chance to put the game away. But the Conquistadors countered with an 8-2 run, and Atkins’ layup with 14 seconds to go, pulled Dodge City to within two, 53-51. The visitors then fouled Sariah Conley, who made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a three-point game.

Things got even more interesting once Atkins got to the rim to make it a one-point contest with eight seconds to play. Garden City then threw away the ensuing inbounds pass giving Dodge City a chance to win. However, Paris Santacaterina’s 3-pointer from the left wing clanged off the back rim. Layla Cameron was whistled for an intentional foul, and Driessen salted the game away at the line, giving Garden City its first victory over a ranked opponent this season.

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Garden

Tayah Morgan paced Dodge City with

STEVI YANCY

BUSTERS

drop step move for a left-handed layup, Driessen and Sariah Conley combined for back-to-back baskets, and Garden City had a 20-16 advantage with 4:17 remaining.

Everything changed after that.

After a lengthy review on a whether Bree Hornya committed a flagrant foul (the officials ruled that she did not), Hutchinson answered with a 13-2 run to close the half polished off by Jackson’s buzzerbeating finger roll that put the top-ranked Blue Dragons up 29-22 at the intermission.

Garden City never recovered after that.

Smith canned an open 3 to begin the third quarter, Jackson sank two free throws, and Smith swished another long ball from the wing, giving the visitors their largest lead of the game, 39-22 with

Oh, the missed opportunities.

The Broncbusters managed to cut it to seven on Nieto’s triple with 2:39 left in the third. But with a

chance to trim the deficit to four, the freshman missed an open trey from the right wing. Hutchinson scored the next four points, and Garden City never got any closer than eight the rest of the way.

Antonicia Moultrie posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds for Garden City, which will host Cloud County at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament.

for Garden City, which improved to 17-

More impressively, they held one of the top players in the conference, Merveille Nkoyock, to just 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting. In fact, the sophomore guard missed 10 of her final 12 shots.

After a sluggish start that had Garden City down four after one, the Broncbusters found some rhythm in the second period. Moultrie completed a three-point play, and Nieto drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Broncbusters the lead. Sariah Conley, who came off the bench on Saturday, followed with an open triple; then swished two free throws, Moultrie buried a midrange jumper from the baseline, and Nieto knocked down a 17-footer to push the advantage to six. Garden City was up 36-34

Greg Franklin’s team then turned it on in the

The Broncbusters opened the second half on a 14-2 run capped by Nieto’s catch-and-shoot trey that made it 50-36. Garden City was up eight heading

into the fourth.

Independence though, which finished the year 16-15 overall, managed to make things interesting in the final period.

Trailing by 12, the visitors surged back with a 14-6 run, and when Nkoyock rattled home a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the Pirates were within four, 68-64 with 3:08 to go.

That’s as close as they got the rest of the way.

The Broncbusters got a big answer on the other end with Ana Ramos-Pires’ three-point play, which stretched the lead back to seven.

Driessen finished with 13 points and 10 assists for Garden City, which won the game despite shooting just 39.7 percent from the field. They scored 14 points off 20 Independence turnovers.

downtown

GardenCity’sseasonendswith secondroundlosstoDodgeCity

Dodge City, KS-Dodge City had revenge on their mind from the jump.

After suffering a two-point loss to Garden City 10 days earlier, the Conquistadors were all business on Tuesday night.

Layla Cameron poured in 20 points, Paris Santacaterina chipped in 19, and Dodge City rolled into the Region VI semifinals with a resounding 9257 victory over Garden City at the Student Activity Center.

Stevi Yancy finished with 24 points for Garden City, which saw their season end abruptly at 17-14. Sierra Driessen and Ana Ramos Pires each scored 10.

The Broncbusters shot just 34 percent from the field and were 3-of-14 from distance. And one game after tying the school single-game record for 3s made, Maya Nieto was held scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc in 26 minutes.

THANK YOU for supporting Broncbuster Athletics! Brenda Reeve

TEAM ROSTER

WOMEN’S ROSTER

MEET THE TEAM BUSTERS

PLAYER BIOS

MEET THE TEAM BUSTERS

#12

Transferred from South Plains…graduated high school in 2019…Originally was going to sign with Coach Franklin at Chipola…After Franklin left, she followed his assistant to Seward (never signed) before eventually landing at South Plains…Averaged 1 ppg and 1 rpg in 25 games at South Plains last year…Played for national team in Gabon (Played in two games-averaged 5.5 ppg and 7 rpg)…turns 23 on Nov. 11th

JOSIAH SABINO

MEET THE TEAM BUSTERS

Redshirted at Jacksonville during the 22-23 season; then appeared in 19 contests as a freshman last season-averaged 2.7 points and grabbed 54 rebounds…Posted his first career-double-double vs. Erskine on 12/30 (16 points and 11 rebounds)…Had 14 rebounds vs. Trinity Baptist on 12/14…Times-Union AllFirst coast Player of the Year in 21-22…First-Team All-State…state qualifier in track and swimming

Transferred from Cloud County…Started nine games for Thunderbirds—Averaged 10.2 points, 2.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game…Scored season-high 24 vs. Indy 2/17/24… Posted a season-best nine rebounds vs. Indy on 2/17/24…Played club ball for Grassroots Sizzle… Played high school ball for Skyline Prep

CALEB SMITH

Transferred from Pratt—played in 31 games last season for the Beavers—14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game…(7) 20-point games including a season-high 28 vs North Idaho…25 double-digit scoring games…Honorable mention all-conference last season… #4

Transferred from Rutgers…Redshirted in 22-23…Played in seven games last season-scoring 12 points and pulling down five rebounds…Signed with Rutgers in 2022…Took summer classes at Howard University in June 2024…Played at three different high schools…Spent freshman year at Health Sciences Charter School in Buffalo, NY before attending Democracy Prep in Las Vegas for second season…three-star receipt…Finished at Grassroots Academy…Models his game, especially his footwork after former NBA player, Carmelo Anthony

PLAYER BIOS

#12

EMILIO ZUNDT

MEET THE TEAM BUSTERS

During his senior year at Garden City High School averaged: 13.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.1 AST, 2.7 STL, 25.3% from 3, 66.7% from the free throw line, and 39.9 EFG%.

JOSEPH NNAMUCHI

#23

All my life was spent in Africa. I was born and raised in Delta Asaba, Nigeria, where I spent my freshman and sophomore years at St. Augustine High School. I was

A STORY WORTH TELLING

Specializing in unique, narrative storytelling, Pilosof Films can help bring your vision to life. Our production company specializes in wedding films, commercial work, and athletic events. We also offer professional photography services. Let Pilosof Films tell your story today.

GCCC PRESIDENT

the ruda family

dr. ryan ruda

7TH PRESIDENT, GARDEN CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The board of trustees unanimously approved, on Feb. 12, 2019, Dr. Ryan Ruda as the seventh President of Garden City Community College.

Before taking on the lead roll, Ruda served as the interim President since the summer of 2018.

Dr. Ruda has been a part of Garden City Community College for more than two decades, most recently serving as the vice president of instruction and student services. He began his tenure as a counselor before being named Director of Counseling in 2003. From there, Dr. Ruda held numerous leadership roles on campus including Athletic Director.

Dr. Ruda is also very active in our Southwest Kansas community, where he volunteers on the United School District 363 Holcomb school board and the Board of the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce. He participates in the Garden City Rotary Club and sits as an exofficio member of the Garden City Community College Endowment Association Board.

Dr. Ruda completed his Doctorate in Community College Leadership through the Rouche Graduate Center at National American University in 2018. He also earned a Master of Science in Counseling and

When Dr. Ruda entered the Presidential role at Garden City Community College, he brought with him a renewed focus on student-centered and value driven decision making at the faculty, staff, and administrative levels. Dr. Ruda himself exemplifies the “BroncBUSTER” values, as they are called on campus. He is a servant leader, is a very relatable individual, and his passion for student success permeates the entire campus at GCCC.

a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, both at Fort Hays State University.

Dr. Ruda and his wife, Amanda, have three daughters Madi, Nicole, and Malia.

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ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

MIKE PILOSOF

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Mike Pilosof was named the Director of Athletics on January 1, 2022. Previously, he served as both the sports information director and assistant athletic director, a position he held since 2016.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Pilosof grew up in Las Vegas, NV. He graduated from Bonanza High School before receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2007. In 2021, Pilosof earned his master’s in sports administration from the University of Kansas.

After school, he began his play-by-play career at K-101 Radio in Woodward, OK. There, he worked as the news and sports director for a two-station cluster. In 2012, he took a job as the assistant news and sports director for Wright Wradio in Weatherford, OK where he called games for Southwestern Oklahoma State. A year later, he was hired as the sports director at the Western Kansas Broadcast Center in Garden City.

For nine years, Pilosof served as the radio play-by-play voice for Garden City Community College football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. From 2013-2018, he called games for Garden City High School.

In his current role, Pilosof has overseen the addition of state-ofthe-art video boards at the football and baseball stadiums as well as an additional video board inside Conestoga Arena along with the renovation of the weight room. He also put together a creative team to further enhance the department’s marketing efforts, which includes a full-time creative director, a digital design specialist, and a brandnew media room inside the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex.

In addition, Pilosof oversees the Broncbuster Athletic Association, which is the main fundraising arm for Garden City Community College athletics.

Pilosof and his wife, Amber, who is a registered nurse, reside in Garden City. Together, they have four children: Ryan (20), Gavin (20), Connor (17), and Benjamin (15).

VP OF ATHLETICS

the lamb family

COLIN LAMB

VP STUDENT SERVICES AND ATHLETICS

Colin Lamb has been a staple at Garden City Community College for more than 20 years.

Lamb is the Vice President for Student services and is currently serving as interim Athletic Director. Before that, he worked as Dean of Students.

Lamb’s hard work and commitment to Garden City Community College and its students allowed him to move up into multiple administrative roles throughout his career. Lamb has served as Assistant Athletic Director, Interim AD, AD and now Vice President for Athletics and Student Services. Lamb played a key role in the success of the 2016 Football National Championship and 2018 National Runner-up teams.

Lamb earned an Associate’s of Arts Degree from Garden City Community College and transferred to Washburn University where he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree.

Lamb serves on various committees at GCCC and has earned numerous awards over the past 23 years. He has overseen and helped write three TRIO/SSS grants through the Department of Education-totaling more that $3 million. Some of his committee appointments include: the Academic Review Committee, Behavioral and Discipline Committee, and the Security and Safety Committee. Lamb was also behind the design of the Broncbuster mural in the DPAC that was awarded Best in the Nation. In addition, he was named Outstanding Support to Students winner three times and won the TRIO Achiever of the Year. Lamb established

the Athletic Academic Advisor position at GCCC and was the first to serve in that capacity. Lamb has been instrumental in helping hundreds of student athletes transfer from GCCC including Phil Loadholt, Mike Hughes, Tyreek Hill, Nic Marshall, Derek Pope, Cameron Kinney, Yamon Figures, Torrey Johnson and Eric Griffin.

Lamb was born and raised in Garden City, KS. He is married to Winsom Lamb and has two sons, Kyler (23) and Isaac (19).

Colin’s wife, Winsom, is a social-science professor at Garden City Community College. Their oldest son Kyler played basketball for the Broncbusters and is currently a teacher at Charles O. Stones. Their youngest son, Isaac, is a current student at GCCC.