Broncbusters bounce back; beat Colby on the road

Colby, KS-Rusty Elmore's 2019-20 Colby Trojans were one global pandemic away from competing for a national championship. And that's not an over exaggeration. 

Nearly four years later, Elmore, with his new squad, was back in the arena he used to call home. And when it was all said and done Wednesday night, it would be a fair assessment to say the town definitely misses him.  

Braxton Jones finished with 28 points, Brody Robinson added 19 points and eight assists, and Garden City soared past Colby, 89-73 at the Events Center.  

The Broncbusters, which won for the sixth time in in their last eight games, improved to 12-7 overall and 8-5 in conference play, moving within a game of fourth-place Cloud County in the standings.  

Jordan Frazier chipped in 15 points, and Thomas Tut added 15 points and eight boards. 

For the most part, except for late in the second half, this game wasn't close. The Broncbusters ripped off a 9-0 run capped by a pair of Jones' triples to give the visitors an early 9-2 edge. Moments later, Jones hit from 26 feet out, Tut banged home a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and Frazier and Robinson nailed consecutive triples to give Garden City a 33-17 advantage with 8:12 left in the half.  

They were up 20 at the break.  

The only anxious moments came with a little over six minutes remaining when Raphael Nagau-Trouart nailed an 18-footer over Jones to pull Colby within eight, 69-61. But Jones answered with a pair of free throws, Tut hit a midrange jumper, and Frazier knocked down a 15-footer along the baseline to stretch the lead back to 14.  

The Broncbusters rebounded from their poor shooting performance at Hutchinson on Saturday by canning 14-of-37 (38 percent) from beyond the arc. They produced 17 assists on 29 made baskets and won the game despite being outrebounded, 46-31.  

Nagau-Trouart scored 20 points in 29 minutes off the bench for Colby, which dropped to 6-13 overall and 2-11 in conference. Maxence Massadila and D'Necco Rucker each tallied 16.