Garden City's upset bid derailed in Great Bend

Great Bend, KS-Mark Saturday afternoon's tilt as an instant classic.  

After a wild final minute, Mozae Rivers-Downing banked in a running jumper from just inside the free throw line with three seconds remaining, and second-ranked Barton edged Garden City, 70-68. 

Brody Robinson, who scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, nearly connected on a 60-foot prayer as time expired. But the shot, which caromed off the backboard, slid off the front rim as the Broncbusters suffered a second gut-wrenching loss to the Cougars this season.  

Jordan Frazier scored 19 points for Garden City, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped. Thomas Tut posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Braxton Jones chipped in 10.  

The Broncbusters, which trailed by as many as seven in the second half after Cooper Jackson's two free throws made it 50-43 with nine minutes to go, answered with 11 straight points including back-to-back triples by Frazier and Robinson that gave Garden City a 51-50 advantage. Moments later, Tut powered through Myles Thompson for and and-1 layup that stretched the lead to four.  

But neither team could break away. 

There were six lead changes over the final eight minutes. Frazier's two free throws put the Broncbusters up 63-61 with 2:08 om the clock. But Keandre Kindell answered on the other end with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Cougars a one-point edge. Lajae Jones then added a pair of free throws to make it 66-63 with just over a minute remaining.  

Cue the fireworks.  

Garden City was down 68-65 with less than 20 seconds to play. That's when Head Coach, Rusty Elmore put the ball in Robinson's hands.  

And the sophomore delivered.  

The transfer from Tennessee-Chattanooga veered around a screen at the top of the key before drilling a 25-footer that knotted the score at 68 with nine seconds.  

But following a Broncbuster timeout, Downing-Rivers drove the length of the floor before beating Jones to the block and floating a banker over the outstretched arms of Charles Chukwu to put Barton ahead, 70-68. 

The Broncbusters, which dropped to 17-11 overall and 13-9 in conference, was the more aggressive team from the jump, building an eight-point lead 12 minutes into the first half after Frazier knocked down a trey from the left corner. 

Thompson, who dominated the first meeting in Garden City back in December, had 15 points and nine rebounds for Barton, which won their 17^th straight game to improve to 26-1 overall and 20-1 in the Jayhawk. Jones added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Cooper Jackson scored 11 on 4-of-9 shooting.