Slow start dooms Garden City in Ark City

Arkansas City, KS-Marcus Whitlock poured in a game-high 28 points, Avante Nichols chipped in 19 off the bench, and sixth-ranked Cowley beat Garden City, 87-73 Wednesday night at William Scott Gym.  

The Tigers, which won for the 11^th time in their last 12 games, improved to 15-2 overall and a league-best 9-1 in the Jayhawk.  

Emmanuel Manyuon finished with 17 points for Garden City, which dropped its third straight conference game to fall to 7-7 overall and 2-6 in the Jayhawk. Josiah Sabino scored 16, and Antonio Chol had 14 points but was just 4-of-13 from the field.  

The Broncbusters, which trailed for all but 52 seconds in the game, took their last lead when Chol connected from deep to make it 7-5 with 17:08 remaining in the first half. Dallas Whitney though put the Tigers in front for good with a 3-point silencer on Cowley's next possession as the home team responded with 16-5 run to put the Tigers up, 21-12 with 11:24 to play in the half.  

Cowley had an 11-point advantage at the intermission. 

Garden City made things interesting midway through the second half. Trailing by 10, Manyuon drained a triple; then hit a layup, Sabino swished two free throws, and the Broncbusters were within three. But Cowley scored eight of the next nine points to stretch the lead back to 10, and Garden City got no closer than six the rest of the way.  

Cowley, which bounced back after suffering their first conference loss of the season Saturday at Hutchinson, had three players reach double figures including CJ Majors, who finished 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes.