Tigers bounce back with 87-73 win over Garden City

Coming off its first conference defeat, the No. 6-ranked Cowley College men's basketball team returned to the win column with an 87-73 victory over Garden City on Wednesday inside W.S. Scott Auditorium.

Cowley remains a half-game in front of Coffeyville in the Jayhawk Conference standings, as the Tigers are now 14-2 overall and 9-1 in the conference. Garden City (7-7) falls to 2-6 in the Jayhawk Conference.

On Wednesday, the Tigers got 16 first-half points from Marcus Whitlock Jr. to lead Garden City by a score of 43-32. Cowley's lead would grow to as many as 13 points (51-38) early in the second half before the Broncbusters began to chip away at the deficit.

After having its lead cut to three (57-54), Cowley would push its advantage back to double figures (76-66) before a three-pointer by Garden City's Antonio Choi pulled the Broncbusters within seven (76-69) with 2:37 remaining.

The Tigers answered with an 11-1 run to lead 87-70 before Garden City hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

"We were disappointed in the Hutchinson game on Saturday and came out tonight with better energy," Cowley head coach Donnie Jackson said. "I was proud of our effort."

Whitlock finished 5-of-8 from three-point range and finished with a game-high 28 points.

"If you give him an inch, it is going in," Jackson said.

Sophomore Avante Nichols came off the bench to score 19 points while adding four rebounds, two blocked shots, and two steals.

"Avante brings so much energy and is always ready to make things happen for the team," Jackson said.

Tiger freshman CJ Majors was inserted into the starting lineup and finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

"CJ was all over the place," Jackson said.

Emmanuel Manyuon led Garden City with 17 points. Fellow Broncbuster Antonio Choi entered the game averaging 21.6 points per contest but was held to just 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The teams combined for 52 fouls and 58 free-throw attempts.

"We have got to learn how to guard without fouling," Jackson said.

Cowley will now prepare to play at Cloud County on Saturday at 4 p.m. The T-Birds, 9-5 overall and 3-5 in the conference, have not played since December 14.

"Our sophomore group has not gone to Cloud and won, so we will need to be ready," Jackson said.

Box score:

Garden City (73): Josiah Sabino 4-8 8-10 16, Emmanuel Manyuon 7-11 1-2 17, Caleb Smith 0-7 3-4 3, Antonio Choi 4-13 3-4 14, Isaiah Dixon 3-3 0-3 6, Finn Eriksson 2-3 5-5 10, Jace Steinmetz 1-2 0-0 3, Desean Lewis 1-2 2-3 4, Ivan Lucente 0-0- 0-0 0. Totals: 22-49 22-31 73.

Cowley (87): Shamarrie Hugie 3-7 0-0 6, Emarquis Jones 1-3 1-2 3, Marcus Zeigler 3-11 0-0 6, CJ Majors 2-7 6-6 11, Marcus Whitlock 10-17 3-4 28, Avante Nichols 5-7 9-13 19, Winston Allen 1-3 0-0 2, Dallas Whitney 4-8 0-0 9, Kyden Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Teagen Charles 0-1 1-2 1, Austin Fortune 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 30-67 20-27 87.

Three-pointers: Garden City 7-19 (Choi 3-7, Manyuon 2-4, Eriksson 1-2, Steinmetz 1-2, Sabino 0-3, Smith 0-1), Cowley 7-16 (Whitlock 5-8, Whitney 1-3, Majors 1-2, Hugie 0-1, Jones 0-1, Zeigler 0-1). Rebounds: Garden City 34 (Sabino, Choi 8), Cowley 31 (Majors 9). Turnovers: Garden City 19, Cowley 8. Total fouls: Garden City 25, Cowley 27. Fouled out: Dixon, Eriksson, Hugie. Technicals: Garden City bench.