CHANUTE, KS -- Bolstered by star performances from several Panthers, the Neosho County Community College men's basketball program (3-2, 1-2 KJCCC) composed the team's most dominant display of the 2020-21 campaign. This display saw them upend the Beavers of Pratt Community College (1-2, 0-2 KJCCC) by a 15-point margin, 95-80, Wednesday evening at Panther Gymnasium for its first Jayhawk victory of the season.
 
The contest saw a relatively even start as the Beavers would strike first off of a Cam Morris layup. However, the Panthers would answer with back-to-back threes, the first from Cougar Downing and the second from Magic Reliford. Neosho would explode offensively raining in threes left and right and pushing the lead to 20 in favor of the Panthers at the first media timeout (29 – 9). After the midway mark of the game, the Panthers resumed their dominance eventually increasing their lead to as large as 26 points behind several rim rocking dunks from the Panther big men De'Antray Hughes and Daniel Titus.
 
It was the Panther guards that would finish off the Beavers hitting 5-10 from three point land in the 2nd half. The Panthers would end the game with five guys in double figures. Magic Reliford (21pts), Deondre Buggage (19pts), De'Antray Hughes (18pts), and Cougar Downing and Daniel Titus both chipping in 14pts.
 
KEY STATISTICS
-- For the game, Neosho finished shooting 50.8 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point land and 80.8 percent from the charity stripe.
-- The Panthers three-headed monster in Buggage, Reliford, and Downing showed their dominance by combining for 54 of the Panthers 95 points.
-- Panthers forward De'Antray Hughes recorded his 3rd double-double of the season with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
-- The Black and Orange finished the game shooting a season-high 80.8% from the free-throw line connecting on 21 of 26.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers must shift their focus as they hit the road for their fifth conference game of the season by heading out west for a long road trip to Garden City, Kansas. They will take on the GCCC Broncbusters Saturday, February 5th at 4:00 PM, at the Conestoga Arena on the campus of Garden City Community College.
 
For more information, go to www.goneosho.com or follow @GoNeoshoHoops or GoNeosho on Twitter for updates throughout the year.