Saints Pick Up Win Number One Behind Johnson's 25
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clarendon College (3-5) | 25 | 42 | 67 |
|
Seward County Community College (1-4) | 42 | 39 | 81 |
There certainly weren't many people out there that would have correctly guessed that it would take until November 14th for the defending Jayhawk West Champion and 15th ranked Seward County Saints to pick up their first win of 2014, but that was the case Friday night in the Greenhouse as Seward finally got the monkey off their back with an 81-67 victory over Clarendon to improve to 1-4 overall on the year.
As they have seemingly all season, the Saints got off to a good start against Clarendon Friday night, taking a 7-2 and 11-5 lead to begin the game behind five early points from sophomore Secean Johnson. The Saints stretched their lead to seven on another bucket by Johnson, but in a span of just 1:32, a 9-1 run by the Bulldogs put them in front for the first time on the night 17-16 with 10:14 to go in the first half. Whatever Seward Head Coach Bryan Zollinger said in the ensuing timeout was the magic words for the Saints as Seward went on a 20-0 run after the stoppage, holding Clarendon without a point for a span of 5:24 to open up a commanding 36-17 lead. Seward kept their momentum rolling, getting a three point play on the inside by Tykwan Garner to stretch their lead to 42-20 and despite a mini 5-0 run by Clarendon to close the half, the Saints carried a 42-25 lead into the break. While Seward wasn't blazing offensively by any stretch of the imagination at just 34% from the floor, the Saints new matchup zone gave Clarendon fits, allowing the 'Dogs to shoot just 21% with 6 field goals in the first 20 minutes of action.
Seward began the second half strong, scoring eight straight after a Clarendon hoop to open the period. With 16:23 remaining, the Saints looked to have had things in control, leading the contest 52-27. It remained a 20+ point Seward lead to the 13 minute mark where the Saints remained on top 58-37, but a heavy Clarendon push cut the Saints advantage to single digits at the 8:00 mark as Seward's lead had dwindled to 63-54. Clarendon continued to chip away and with 4:28 to go, it was down to a two possession game at 67-61 with the Saints clinging to life. A big finish on the inside by Johnson pushed Seward back up by eight and Clarendon never got any closer as the Saints amped up their defensive pressure and came up with enough stops while sinking enough free throws down the stretch to hang on to win 81-67 for win number one this season.
The Saints finally numbers were less than impressive, but it was good enough on this night. Seward shot 39% from the field, their fifth straight game under 40% to open the season, while Clarendon managed to hit just 35% on the night. The Saints once again struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2 for 17 from three while the Bulldogs hit 8 triples in the game. Johnson led the Saints with a career high 25 points while Garner pitched in 8 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of work. The Saints forced 35 Clarendon turnovers on the night while turning it over just 19 times themselves.
Seward picks up win number one, improving to 1-4 on the year while Clarendon drops to 2-6 and 0-6 against NJCAA opponents.
The Saints will look for their first winning streak of 2014 on Saturday as they host 6-1 Frank Phillips to wrap up the Billy's/Days Inn Classic in the Greenhouse. The Saints and Plainsmen will tip off at 8:00 with free tickets available at Billy's BBQ and Days Inn in Liberal.