Men's Basketball Fall at Cloud County

The Mavericks Men's Basketball team suffered a tough loss to Cloud County Community College on Saturday, ending their three-game win streak with a final score of 75-86.

The first half started at a slow pace, with both teams struggling to put the ball in the hoop, resulting in a 9-12 score in favor of Cloud at the midway point. However, Cloud's offense would eventually get going with an 8-0 run, taking a 10-point lead (23-13) ending at about the five-minute mark as they capitalized off of the Mavs' turnovers. Despite struggling to halt Cloud's momentum, the Mavericks would continue to compete, matching each of Cloud's explosive plays with shots of their own. The Mavericks would end up going into halftime trailing by eight points, 30-38.

In the second half, the game remained a back-and-forth battle for the first five minutes before Cloud was able to extend their lead, gaining an 18-point advantage with around eleven minutes left. Northwest Tech then initiated a run of their own, with Keyishon Miller leading a comeback and cutting the lead back down to 10 points just past the 5-minute mark. However, it would not be enough as Cloud's offense matched Tech's scoring while playing tough defense, making the Mavericks work for every shot.

"Offensively, the ball didn't move well early," said Coach Bradley. "Late in the first half, we were able to get stops and get out in transition to go on a quick run. The second half was all about free throws, with four of our guys fouling out; it's a physical brand of basketball in the Jayhawk Conference."

Northwest Tech's next game will be at home against Cowley Community College this Wednesday.

When asked about Tech's next matchup, Coach Bradley commented, "We will have to get out in transition, keep them out of the paint, and contain Josh Nwanko, who is a top 10 Juco player in the country. We have to defend, we have to rebound, and we need to hold Cowley to less than 72 points."