Saints Recover From Slow Start to Bounce Labette
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Labette Community College (1-6) | 33 | 42 | 75 |
|
Seward County Community College (5-0) | 33 | 55 | 88 |
Some sports teams are labeled 'first half' teams or 'second half' teams and if you had to label the 2015-2016 Seward County Saints in the early season, you would most certainly go with the later. Yet again, Friday afternoon in Dodge City as they took on the Labette Cardinals, the Saints had a subpar first half before turning it on in the final 20 minutes to knock off the Cards 88-75 to improve to 5-0 on the season.
What on paper seemed like a lopsided matchup in Dodge City's Civic Center Friday afternoon, the 4-0 Seward County Saints went up against the 1-5 Labette Cardinals in inter-Jayhawk, non-conference action. What happened on the floor shows why the games aren't played on paper as the Saints came out sluggish and the Cardinals came out ready to go, playing Seward to a 33-33 tie in the first half. Neither team was able to get much going on the offensive end in the first half as Seward shot just 36% and Labette 32%.
A much more inspired Seward squad came out ready to go in the second half. The Saints immediately grabbed the lead and never let up on Labette. Delano Jones came off the bench to spark the Saints as they took an eight point lead by the midway point of the half before finishing the Cardinals off 88-75 to remain unbeaten on the season.
The Saints shot 55% in the second half to finish the game at 47% from the field while Labette nearly matched those numbers, finishing the game at 43% shooting. Labette crushed the Saints on the boards, outrebounding Seward 41-28 on the night, but the Saints forced 27 turnovers while only coughing it up 13 times themselves in the contest.
Charles Beauregard led the Saints with 22 points in the win while Niem Stevenson added 18 points and a team best eight rebounds. Jones was dialed in for Seward, hitting on six of nine from the field and four of six from the three point line to score a career high 16 for the Saints.
Seward remains unbeaten at 5-0 on the season with the victory, its first over an NJCAA opponent all season, while Labette falls to 1-6 on the year.
The Saints will return to Boot Hill on Saturday to take on Lamar Community College's JV squad in a matinee affair.