EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
Seward County traveled to Barton County with seven active players on the roster, and the shorthanded Saints couldn’t keep pace with the Cougars in an 84-68 loss.
The Saints kept the game competitive but couldn’t make a significant run to overcome the Cougar lead.
The Saints trailed 38-27 at half and played even closer in the second half but still came up short 46-41.
Kiku Parker led the Saints with 18 points. Three other Saints, Carson Bennett, Mohammed Jobe and Nfaba Mane, each scored 12.
The loss was the fifth in a row for the Saints and dropped their season record to 3-20 overall and 2-16 in the Jayhawk West Conference.
With only five games remaining on the season schedule, the Saints inched closer to not qualifying for post season play. The Saints remained in last place in the conference. The next closest team, 12th place Cloud County, has a conference record of 5-13.
That means Seward’s elimination number is two. If Seward loses two of the remaining five games or Cloud wins two more games, there is no way for the Saints to avoid a last-place finish and be eliminated from the Region VI tournament.
The Saints are guaranteed to have a losing season, the fourth in a row for the first time since records have been kept.
The Saints fell to 35-81 (.302) since Rylee Hernandez became the head coach.
