March 10, 2009

Tigers have season come to an end with loss in Region VI title game

The shots just wouldn’t fall. Making only 18-of-72 shots from the floor, the Cowley College men’s basketball team never found its rhythm offensively as they had its season come to an end with a 66-56 loss to Garden City Monday night in the Region VI championship game played at Wichita State University’s Charles Koch Arena.

Despite its tough shooting night, the Tigers were tied at halftime (25-25) and trailed by only five points (55-50) after a basket by Jawanza Poland with 2:33 remaining.

The turning point in the game came when Cowley got the ball back on a traveling call on Garden City with 2:22 left to play. With a chance to make it a one possession game, Poland missed a jumper, which led to a run out for Garden City. On the play, the Broncbusters’ Thomas Manzano made a lay up and was fouled. Manzano hit the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play and put Garden City ahead 58-50 with 2:13 remaining.

After another missed shot by the Tigers, Garden City’s Richard Thomas scored to put the Broncbusters ahead 60-50 with 1:54 left. The Tigers would get no closer than within eight points the rest of the way as they had its season come to an end in the Region VI title game for the second straight year.

“You have got to make baskets, defense can only take you so far,” Cowley head coach Steve Eck said.

Cowley finishes the season with a record of 29-5. The 29 wins ties for the second most in school-history as the 1952-53 Tiger basketball team also finished 29-5. Last season’s team holds the school-record for wins in a season with 31.

Once again, Cowley fought hard but came up just short of its goal of qualifying for the national tournament.

“I want to thank all of the fans and students that came out to support us,” Eck said. ‘I am disappointed we couldn’t get to nationals for them.”

Poland led Cowley with 17 points in the defeat, while sophomore Jack Crowder finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds in his final game as a Tiger. Crowder made the all-tournament team as he averaged 21.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in three games.

Crowder became only the eighth Cowley player to score more than 1,000 points in his career as he amassed 1,026 points in his two years at the school. Crowder’s 685 points this season were the sixth most points scored in a single season in school-history.

“Jack plays hard, unfortunately he was off last night but that should not take away from the career he had,” Eck said.

Robert Goff chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Goff made 4-of-6 shots from the floor and was the only Tiger to make more than half of his shot attempts. One day after making 12-of-22 three-point attempts, Cowley went just 2-of-20 from three-point range.

Garden City advances to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, March 17-21. The Broncbusters, the fourth seed out of the Jayhawk West, are now 23-11 on the season.

Manzano, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Region VI Tournament, led Garden City with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Cowley will say goodbye to sophomores Jack Crowder and Mike Atwater. The sophomores were a part of the most wins by the Tiger basketball team over any two-year span.

Although the sophomores will be missed, Cowley will return nearly 75 percent of its scoring next season.

Box score:
Garden City (66): Bob Wesley 3-6 4-5 10, Thomas Manzano 7-17 2-7 16, Reggie Davis 0-3 0-0 0, Richard Thomas 2-11 7-8 12, Trevor Ottley 1-7 2-2 4, DeRon Anderson 5-6 0-2 10, Fred Williams 2-4 0-0 4, Travis Burley 1-1 0-0 2, Martell Jackson 4-8 0-0 8. Totals: 25-63 15-24 66.

Cowley (56): Caprest Rhone 0-6 2-3 2, Jawanza Poland 5-17 6-8 17, Jack Crowder 4-19 4-6 12, Robert Goff 4-6 2-3 10, Dominique Lane 0-7 0-0 0, Adonis Gantt 3-8 2-2 8, Lance Russell 2-9 2-3 7, Bernard Kamwa 0-0 0-0 0, Ray Chambers 0-0 0-0 0, Mike Atwater 0-0 0-0 0.

Three-pointers: Garden City 1-7 (Manzano 0-2, Williams 0-2, Thomas 1-2, Ottley 0-1), Cowley 2-20 (Rhone 0-5, Poland 1-4, Russell 1-6, Crowder 0-4, Lane 0-1). Rebounds: Garden City 47 (Manzano 9), Cowley 53 (Crowder 13). Assists: Garden City 11 (Wesley 4), Cowley 9 (Crowder 3). Turnovers: Garden City 12, Cowley 17. Total fouls: Garden City 19, Cowley 20. Fouled out: Poland. Technicals: Poland.