Cloud County hits 13 three-pointers, ends Lady Tigers season with 73-67 road win

Each time the ninth-seeded Cloud County Thunderbirds hit a three-pointer during Saturday's First Round playoff game inside W.S. Scott Auditorium, it seemed to inch the T-Birds closer to the lead against the eighth-seeded Cowley College Lady Tigers. After going 6-of-6 from three-point range in the fourth quarter, the T-Birds completed their comeback and defeated Cowley 73-67 to advance to the Second Round of the Region VI playoffs.

Cowley made only 3-of-20 three-point attempts in the game, while Cloud County (15-15) went 13-of-27 from beyond the arc. Cloud County moves on to play at top-seeded Hutchinson Community College (30-0) on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

Cowley finishes the season with a record of 16-15.

On Saturday, Cowley led 14-12 after one quarter of play before Cloud County's Destinty Smith hit four three-pointers in the second quarter to rally the T-Birds to a 34-29 halftime lead.

Cowley would hold Cloud to 3-of-13 shooting in the third quarter as they out-scored the T-Birds 20-8 to take a 49-42 lead into the final quarter of play.

The Lady Tigers' lead would grow to 58-50 on a three-pointer by freshman Jaiden Smith with six minutes remaining. However, Cloud answered with back-to-back three-pointers by Smith and Bailey Burns to pull within 58-56.

With Cowley clinging to a 67-66 lead, Destiny Smith drained her seventh three-pointer to put the Lady T-Birds in front 69-67 with 1:15 left to play.

After a miss on a tying shot attempt by Lady Tiger freshman Hattie Pyle, Cowley was forced to foul Cloud's Josephine Igherighe, who made both free-throw attempts to increase the T-Birds' lead to 71-67 with 14.8 seconds left.

After a missed three-pointer by Jaiden Smith, Burns hit two more free throws to cap the 73-67 road win.

What a difference a couple of weeks can make as Cowley defeated Cloud County 75-48 on February 28.

The T-Birds were led by Destiny Smith's seven three-pointers and 24 points.

"We did not defend well, but give Cloud credit for coming in and playing hard," Cowley head coach Todd Clark said. "We did not have any answers for her (Destiny Smith) and struggled to get stops defensively."

Playing her final game in a Lady Tiger uniform, Anna Przyszlak finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Ndack Mbengue added eight points and 11 rebounds as the duo provided Cowley with a formidable duo inside. Przyszlak finished the season averaging 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, while Mbengue averaged 12.5 points and 10.4 boards.

Freshman Hattie Pyle joined Przsyzlak with a double-double, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Pyle finished the season averaging 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Fellow freshman Jaiden Smith added 11 points and averaged 10.6 points on the season.

"We were just really inconsistent this year," Clark said. "We battled, but we have got to have some offense."

Box score:

Cloud (73): Destiny Smith 8-16 1-2 24, Darcy Lierz 0-3 0-0 0, Bailey Burns 6-13 4-4 20, Maimouna Sissoko 6-9 1-2 14. Josephine Igherighe 5-17 4-4 15, Cadence Nondorf 0-0 0-0 0, Sarah Lawless 0-1 0-0 0, Kirya Mack 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-59 10-12 73.

Cowley (67): Destiny Yates 0-6 0-0 0, Ndack Mbengue 3-11 2-2 8, Anna Przyszlak 10-26 4-4 24, Hattie Pyle 8-18 8-9 24, Jaiden Smith 4-11 0-0 11, Georgia Knight 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 25-73 14-15 67.

Three-pointers: Cloud 13-27 (Smith 7-13, Burns 4-7, Sissoko 1-2, Igherighe 1-2, Lierz 0-2, Lawless 0-1), Cowley 3-20 (Smith 3-10, Przyszlak 0-5, Yates 0-3, Pyle 0-1, Knight 0-1). Rebounds: Cloud 30 (Sissoko 8), Cowley 42 (Pyle 12). Assists: Cloud 16 (Lierz 5), Cowley 12 (Przyszlak, Pyle 4). Turnovers: Cloud 18, Cowley 13. Total fouls: Cloud 12, Cowley 12. Fouled out: none. Technicals: Igherigue, Mbengue, Przyszlak.