Garden City loses in Concordia

Concordia, KS-All that begins well didn't end that way on Thursday. 

The Broncbusters fast start quickly eroded, Talasia Thomas scored 15 points to lead four Cloud County starters in double figures, and the Thunderbirds beat Garden City, 67-61 at Arley Bryant Gymnasium. 

Jolie Mantz finished with 15 points for the Broncbusters, which lost their third straight game to fall to 11-14 overall and 8-12 in conference. Ana Ramos Pires added 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. 

Garden City came out as the aggressor. Bruna Costa Da Silva buried a 3-pointer, Priscilla Rose-Wemba finished off a three-point play, and Jolie Mantz hit a rainbow 25-footer that gave the Broncbusters an 11-2 edge with 5:56 remaining in the first.  

But Garden City cooled off after that as the Thunderbirds ripped off a 20-5 run that gave the home team a 22-16 lead after one.  

That surge continued into the second period, and when Tiana Davis found a cutting Shea Wurtz for a layup, Cloud County had a 35-26 advantage late in the frame. They were up seven at the half. 

The Thunderbirds led by as many as nine early in the third before Garden City trimmed the deficit to four heading to the fourth. 

Mantz's layup with 6:05 remaining pulled the visitors to within two, 54-52. And despite having a multitude of chances down the stretch (Cloud County had just two made buckets over the final five minutes), the Broncbusters never pulled even. 

Trailing by four with less than 20 seconds left, Antonicia Moultrie committed a costly turnover that led to two (Tiana) Davis free throws that put the game away. 

Wurtz and DaNae Crosby each finished with 12 points for Cloud County, which improved to 16-10 overall and 11-10 in the Jayhawk.  

Of note, if the season ended today, the Broncbusters would face the Thunderbirds in the opening round of the Region Tournament in Concordia.