Late-game NCCC comeback falls one-point short
 
Brian McDowell
Sports Editor

When Neosho County Community College was putting together its Sonic Shootout tournament, men's basketball coach Jeremy Coombs wanted to invite good teams that could offer a legitimate challenge to his Panthers squad. During much of the team's first game of the tournament, it appeared that, in the case of the Seward County Saints, Coombs may have overshot that mark.

The Saints started the game against the tournament hosts by scoring two unanswered three-pointers, and eventually built a double-digit lead that was maintained throughout a good portion of the match-up. However, an improbable late-game comeback put the Panthers within grasp of victory. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they were never quite able to close the gap and Seward County escaped with a narrow 66-65 victory on the first night of Neosho County's second annual New Year's tournament.

Despite never being in the lead during this game, the Panthers did have some signs of life early in the game. Sophomore standout Brison White, who ended up leading the Panthers with 21 points in this matchup, scored on a thunderous alley oop thrown up by Jerry Sipple. Overall, though, until the middle of the second half, Neosho County could neither get past the defensive front put up by the Saints or find a way to stop Saints players like sophomore Deverell Biggs, who scored 17 points in the game.

“Early in the game, I thought we were scared,” Coombs said. “Their physical play and the toughness that Seward showed, I think, scared us and we backed away from them.

Seward County led 36-23 at the half, and, at that point, according to Coombs, players on the Panthers decided they had nothing to lose and that they needed to fight back.

Halfway through the second half, the Panthers started to close the wide scoring gap and their defense started to fire on all cylinders, getting key stops toward the end of the game. Eventually, Neosho County turned a 15-point deficit into a two-point deficit with two minutes left in the game, and then Sipple tied it at 60 with a two-handed dunk.

However, Seward County made some late-game free throws, and the score was 65-62 when the game entered its final seconds. A three-pointer that White threw up from the line fell short, and Seward County made a free throw on a subsequent foul to put the game effectively out of reach. White did manage to throw up a successful three-pointer in the game's final second, and Neosho County fell one point short.

“I think there were times where we had opportunities to win the game,” Coombs said, “and we've got to take advantage of those.”

The Panthers outscored the Saints by 12 in the second half.

Coombs said he was proud of the team for fighting back.

“I'm not happy that we had the slow start,” Coombs said, “but we've got to get that fixed. That's why we're doing this right now, so it doesn't happen in conference.”

Besides White's 22 points, Tyler Hickert also aided the effort, shooting 4-for-4 on field goals and scoring 12 points overall. Brett Jones and Chris Patton chipped in 8 points, and Sipple had 6.

Coombs is expecting the Panthers next matchup, against Missouri State University-West Plains this afternoon at 4 p.m., to be equally tough. “These are two nationally ranked teams,” Coombs said, “They're ranked for a reason, and that's what we want. Our goal is to win the conference, and you've got to play the best to win the whole thing.”