NCCC cuts the Cards in 65-60 comeback victory
Brian McDowell
Sports Editor

PARSONS — NCCC freshman Bryan Newton got his first start for the Panthers men's basketball team in its Saturday night 65-60 victory over the Labette Community Cardinals. For Coach Jeremy Coombs, the decision to give Newton the start came out of questioning whether his team wants to win and has the heart to win games.

“I know that, probably, if there's anybody on this team that has the biggest heart, it's Bryan,” Coombs said. “And, so, when I've got a guy that's going to come out and work for me, I've got to get him out on the floor.”

Coombs said Newton has been doing a good job for the team lately, especially in practices and when he's been brought in late in games.

“We just wanted to go with a guy that wanted to be out there and wanted to work hard for us,” Coombs said.

The coach admitted he sometimes uses playing time to send a message to members of his team, and that's exactly what he did in this game.

“I played about seven guys tonight,” Coombs said. “Hopefully, there was a lot of messages sent out to some of those guys who were sitting on the bench. Some of those guys are the most talented guys we have.”

Among the players who were benched for all or most of the game were Brett Jones and Gregoryshon Magee.

“There's a saying that hard work beats talent and talent fails to work hard,” Coombs said, “and I think that's what we've been going through, so hopefully that will wake some of those guys up.”

Coombs admitted that the low-scoring first half of the game isn't the type that the Panthers traditionally play.

“I like to see a lot of points on the board,” Coombs said, “but I'd rather see not as many points and a win. I'd rather win the game. And that was the key.”

Labette leapt out to a small lead early in the close-knit first half.

“I think they know our stuff,” Coombs said, “and they guarded it well and I don't think we executed as well as we should have.”

Still, early scores by NCCC Chris Patton kept the Panthers in the first half. Labette led by three points for a good chunk late in the first half, but a field goal by Roderick Clark knotted the game at 17 with two minutes left in the half. A quick score by Labette County and two free throw shots by Patton tied the score at 19. Labette scored a quick three-pointer that put the hosts ahead by three at the half.

Coombs said that ordinarily, he would have been grumpy at his players in his halftime chat for not scoring the ball. However, in this game, he felt the Panthers were doing a good job of guarding, so he didn't mention it.

“We just wanted to come out in the first five minutes of the second half, and get after them,” Coombs said, “and I thought the guys did a good job of that.”

Patton immediately tied the score with an inside shot while drawing a foul. Neosho County took the lead on a thunderous one-handed dunk by Brison White. The Cardinals then responded by going on a 7-0 run, which gave them a three-point lead. White unleashed another dunk, and drew a foul. He missed the free throw, allowing Labette to score again and maintain the lead.

Patton responded, scoring a lay-up and drawing a free throw, the resulting lay-up tied the score at 31 with 14 minutes left on the clock. The Cardinals took control, springing ahead to a four-point lead, until a slam dunk by Raymond Jeter brought the Panthers back within two points, and a free throw reduced the Cardinals' lead to one with 10 minutes left in the game.

Things stayed tight, but the Cardinals' offensive attack began to sputter as the Panthers started to take control. Neosho County was offensively carried through the latter half of the second half by White, Jeter, and two dunks by Jerry Sipple. A three-pointer by White gave NCCC a 7-point lead, their largest of the game to that point, with five minutes left in the contest. The Panthers were able to add points with free throws by Sipple.

Labette threatened late in the game, working its way back to within four points with a couple of minutes to go. However, Patton scored on a quick lay-up off a rebound. Tyler Hickert added two more free throws, but Labette quickly responded with two points, closing the gap to five. However, the Cardinals missed a three-pointer with 30 seconds left, and Patton hit two more shots from the three-point line. Labette made a quick three-pointer with seven seconds on the clock, but the Panthers stepped up to spoil the homecoming festivities for their Jayhawk East rivals by five points.

To Coombs, the bottom line is that the Panthers defended, and he feels that is what won them the game. Plus, he said, the team was helped by defensive rebounding that gave the Cardinals only one chance to score on each possession towards the end of the game.

He was also happy that the Panthers attacked the basket instead of settling for jump shots, which got them to the free throw line a few times.

“Ultimately, it wore on Labette,” Coombs said,

Patton led the Panthers by scoring 25 points, while White had 16 and Jeter had nine.

Patton won praise from the coach for a “huge game,” in which he also came away with 21 rebounds. Coombs said Patton was only the second player who has had a 20/20 game since he has coached the Panthers.

The Panthers next have a rematch with Cowley County at home Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Any fan that donates a non-perishable food item to donate at the game receives free admission.

Coombs said it was an important game for a Panthers team that has let a few games slip away from them this year.

“That means every game from here going forward is so much more important,” Coombs said. “We can't let any more slip. And that Cowley County game, I thought, was one we should have won over there at Ark City. Had we hit free throws, it's a done deal, but we didn't, so, we've got to steal this and that way, they can't sweep us and we get the split.”