Sewardsaints.com
INDEPENDENCE – The Seward County men led for a majority of the second half on Saturday at First Oak Bank & Oakes Family Fieldhouse but a late Independence rally saw them fall 87-83 in overtime in the first game of the calendar year for either team.
The Saints, (11-4, 6-3 KJCCC), who were receiving votes in the latest NJCAA rankings, had their five-game winning streak snapped with the loss. Seward led by eight at halftime and held a six-point advantage with under three minutes left in regulation, but the Pirates forced extra time with a layup from Diezel Davis with just over three seconds to play and pulled away in the final period. It marked Seward's first overtime game of the season.
Lucas N'Gombo paced the Saints with 16 points and eight rebounds, going 6-11 from the field. Awit Mamer and JJ Chapman each added 14 points and eight rebounds, with Mamer hitting 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. Korbin Dowdell contributed nine points off the bench.
Seward shot 42.3 percent from the field (30-71) and outrebounded Independence 48-41, including 17 offensive boards. The Saints also forced 15 turnovers but committed 19 of their own, allowing the Pirates to score 26 points off mistakes compared to Seward County's 13.
Independence capitalized at the line, hitting 80 percent of free throws (28-35) to Seward's 65.5 percent (19-29). The Pirates shot 38.2 percent overall (26 of 68) but made 7-23 from distance.
David Wilson led Independence with 19 points, six rebounds and five steals. Diezel Davis and Trashaun Combs-Pierce each scored 17 points, with Davis draining 5-9 from deep, all in the second half.
The Saints built an early lead with a 10-0 run in the first half, stretching the margin to 28-19 on a layup by Quincey Kidd. Independence responded with an 8-2 spurt to close within eight at the break, 40-32.
The Pirates opened the second half with a 12-5 run to take their first lead at 47-45 on a 3-pointer by Davis. The teams traded leads seven times overall, with Seward County pushing ahead 68-62 late before Independence tied it at 73 on Davis' layup with three seconds remaining.
In overtime, Independence scored the first four points and held off a Seward push that cut the deficit to two on Mamer's 3-pointer. The Pirates sealed the win with six free throws in the final minute.
