EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
After taking an early 6-2 lead, the Saints would not lead again until the final four minutes, and clutch free throws down the stretch secured a 79-66 win for Seward County. The win secured the No. 5 seed for the Saints and first round home playoff game.
Lucas N’Gombo opened with a shot at the free throw line followed by an Awit Mamer dunk to give the Saints a 3-0 lead.
Cowley answered with a basket, and Brevyn Coleman followed with a three for the Saints to build a 6-2 lead. But Cowley took over from there and built a 20-9 lead midway through the first half.
Seward squeezed the lead down to two after a Lyna Brooks layup cut the lead to 25-23, but the Tigers regrouped and pushed the lead back to 35-27 with 3:02 remaining in the first half.
Seward cut the lead to four at half, 37-33, but Cowley opened with the first four points of the second half to regain an eight point lead, 41-33.
The Tigers reached a double-digit advantage with 14:12 to play with a 50-40 advantage.
But the Saints answered with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to three, and with 9:44 to play the Saints had the lead down to two, 54-52.
The Tigers pushed back to a five-point advantage and maintained a one to two-possession advantage until Brooks Powers made two free throws with 4 minutes to play to give the Saints a 63-62 lead.
Cowley answered with a three to regain the lead. But an RJ McKinnie layup tied the game, and a Brevyn Coleman jumper with 2:41 to play gave the Saints a 67-65 lead.
Cowley connected on a free throw with 2:19 to play to cut Seward’s lead to one, but a McKinnie three put Seward up by four, and the Saints hit free throws down the stretch to secure the 79-66 win.
McKinnie led the Saints with 18 points, and Lyna Brooks came off the bench to score 16. N’Gombo had 13.
Seward (18-11, 13-10 conference) will play Dodge City (19-10, 15-8 conference) Wednesday.
