The Saints defeat the Mavericks 74-71, Coach Hernandez wins his 100th career game

LIBERAL, Kan. - Seward County Community College stormed back to defeat Northwest Kansas Technical College 74-71 in the Greenhouse on Monday night. The Saints trailed 62-52 with five minutes left and closed the game on a 22-9 run with a three by Jaylin Henderson in the final 20 seconds, giving Seward County the win. The victory was Head Coach Rylee Hernandez's 100th career win in his seventh season as a head coach in the NJCAA. The Saints are on a two-game winning streak and have improved to 4-5 in the KJCCC and 7-5 this season. 

Daeyon James and Jaylin Henderson led the Saints with 15-point performances. Mario Whitley provided 14 points with eight rebounds off the bench for Seward County. 

Early in the first half, both teams traded off baskets, with the Saints and the Mavericks tied at 7-7 with 15:30 on the clock. Northwest Kansas went on an 11-0 run and took an 18-7 lead over Seward County. With a timeout under the five-minute mark of the opening half, the Saints trailed 23-18.

The Mavericks had their largest lead of the first half as the Saints trailed 30-20 with under two minutes to go in the first half. Seward County responded with a 6-2 run to close out the half and went into halftime down 32-26 to Northwest Kansas.

James connected on an and-1 to cut into the Mavericks' lead 38-33 with 16:25 left in the second half. After a pair of free throws by Jaden Martin, the Saints trailed by four points 43-39 and looked to get back in front. At the under-ten-minute media timeout, Seward County faced a six-point deficit of 52-46 as Northwest Kansas kept the Saints at bay. 

With 6:30 left in the contest, the Mavericks took their largest lead in the second half as they led the Saints 62-52, but the Saints responded quickly with a Whitley mid-range jump shot, 62-54. That started a 7-0 run for Seward County and made it a one-possession contest to trail 62-59. Under two minutes left in the game, the Saints took the lead for the first time since the start of the game, 67-65, after a Whitley jump shot. Both teams traded off baskets until the Mavericks took a 71-69 advantage with one minute left in the game. Whitley knocked down an open jump shot from the free throw line to tie the game again at 71-71. 

On the defensive side, Whitley blocked the shot by the MAvericks and got the rebound to give the Saints a chance to take the lead with thirty seconds left. After a Seward County timeout, Ty Foster drove to the left block and dished it out to Henderson, which connected on a corner three to take a 74-71 lead. The Saints got one more defensive stop and dribbled out the ball to defeat the Mavericks 74-71.

The Saints are now onto the winter break and will be back in action on December 27th against Mesa Community College at 8 p.m. for the first round of the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout. 

Seward County will return home on January 4th, 2023, at 8 p.m., versus Barton as they return to KJCCC action.