Cold third quarter costs Garden City in loss to Butler

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Connor Pilosof

El Dorado, KS-It was a third quarter to forget for the Broncbusters.

Jada Knight scored a game-high 22 points, Syncere Harrod added 13 off the bench, and Butler turned a 13-point deficit into a 20-point runaway 58-38 Saturday night at the Power Plant. The loss dropped Garden City to 18-10 overall and 13-10 in the Jayhawk.

How bad was that third quarter? The Broncbusters were outscored 28-7, missed eight of their 10 shots from the floor and turned the ball over 10 times, culminating in the worst 10-minute stretch of the season.

And it cost them dearly.

Alexis Smith's 3-pointer with less than a minute to go in the second, gave Garden City its biggest advantage of the night, 24-11. They were up 11 at the break.

But the Broncbuster offense came to a screeching halt in the third. They were held to just two points over the first five minutes of the frame, while the Grizzlies answered with a 16-5 run, polished off by Knight's two free throws that tied the game. Moments later, Jaila Harding converted a three-point play, Kamiyah Lyons drained four straight free throws, Knight drilled a corner 3, and Harrod rattled home two freebies to put Butler up 41-31 after three.

The bleeding didn't stop in the fourth.

Knight added a long 3-pointer; then beat two defenders to the rim for a three-point play, Harrod banked in a three-footer, and the Grizzlies had a 54-33 lead with 5:05 remaining.

Butler won the game despite shooting just 29 percent from the floor. Cymirah Williams added seven points, six rebounds, and five steals in 21 minutes off the bench.

Ashton McCorry paced the Broncbusters with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Kealani Neves, who missed the last four games with a concussion, was just 3-of-13 from the field in her return.

Next up: Garden City vs. Hutchinson-Wednesday, Feb. 23-5:30 p.m.