Creston, IA — The Southwestern Spartans men's basketball team suffered a 78-61 loss to #20 Kansas City Kansas Community College on Saturday afternoon. With this result, the Spartans drop to 2-4 on the season and look to regroup ahead of their next two home matchups.

Sophomore Rickey Loftin II led the charge for Southwestern with 17 points, including an impressive 7-of-8 performance from the free-throw line, while adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Freshman Donnary Fontenot chipped in 11 points, connecting on three shots from beyond the arc. Despite these efforts, the Spartans were unable to match the energy and execution of a well-rounded Kansas City Kansas team.

The Blue Devils capitalized on turnovers and maintained a strong inside presence, with three players scoring in double digits, led by BJ Stewart's 15 points.

Head Coach Darryl Fletcher expressed frustration with the team's performance but remained focused on improvement:

"We're disappointed with how we started. We didn't handle pressure well and stood around too much on offense. This team is still learning how to play at a college pace. At the end of the day, the buck stops with me, and I will grind and work to get us better. It's a marathon, not a sprint."

The Spartans shot 43.6% from the field and an efficient 88.5% from the free-throw line but struggled with turnovers.

Southwestern will look to rebound as they host Neosho County Community College on Tuesday, November 26, followed by the start of ICCAC play against Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) on Thursday, November 30.

Next Game:
Neosho County
Creston, IA
7 PM

Let's pack the gym and support the Spartans!