Redskins tie game late only to falter down the stretch in 71-54 loss

AJ Ramirez gets by the Garden City defense for a shot Tuesday night in The Garden. The Redskins erased a double digit deficit to tie the game in the seocnd half only to struggle in the fourth quarter in a 71-54 loss. L&T photo/Earl WattBy EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

GARDEN CITY — Liberal used a strong finish to the first half and beginning of the third quarter to erase a 10-point Garden City lead, but the Redskins faded in the fourth quarter and fell 71-54.

Trailing 28-18 midway through the second quarter, the Redskins started to chip away at the Buffalo lead. 

Embry Williams started the rally with a basket followed by a shot from Alex Lopez.

Aldo Avalos and Williams each scored baskets, and a pair of free throws from Malcolm Wiltshire plus a free throw from Avalos cut the lead to only three at half, 32-29.

Garden City quickly pushed the lead back to five early in the second half, 38-33, but a three from Izzy Garcia and a basket from AJ Ramirez  helped the Redskins reach a 40-40 tie.

Garden City took the lead on the next posession, but Lopez made a shot with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter for a 42-42 tie.

The Buffaloes made a basket and a free throw to end the third period with a three-point lead.

But the fourth quarter was a disaster for the Redskins.

Garden City pushed the lead back to 10 midway through the fourth quarter, and the Redskins tried to come back with quick shots from deep. When the shots didn’t fall, Garden City pushed the ball up the court and stretched the lead to 20 before the Redskins knocked down a couple of late shots in a 71-54 loss.

“We played well for three quarters,” Liberal coach Trace Haskell said. “We struggled to shoot all night except for Embry. All these WAC games are winnable. Putting three quarters together will keep you close, but we have to be mentally better than this, physically better than this. We have to be able to score when we are tired.”

Williams led the Redskins with 22 points in the loss.

Liberal (2-5) will travel to Dodge City (5-3) to face the Red Demons Friday.