Broncbusters go cold in conference opener

Garden City, KS-Garden City couldn't buy a basket on Wednesday night.  

The Broncbusters shot a season-low 37 percent from the floor including just 7-of-26 (27 percent) from downtown in a 92-76 loss to rival Dodge City at Conestoga Arena.  

Kyle Burns finished with 18 points, and Wesly Rosa had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Conquistadors, which improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Dodge City posted a season high in points scored and outrebounded Garden City, 44-34. They had 16 offensive boards leading to 18 second-chance points.  

Caleb Smith scored 20 points and was 11-of-14 at the line for the Broncbusters, which fell to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league play. Antonio Chol finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds but was just 6-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-11 from deep.  

The tone of this game was set from the jump. Burns and Derrick Rivers knocked down back-to-back 3- pointers, Burns then blew by two defenders for an easy transition layup, and Koch-Deng Kock got loose inside, putting the visitors up 20-6 with 10:48 to go in the first half. That lead eventually ballooned to 19 when Fred Saunders hit a reverse layup to make it 36-17.  

Meantime the Broncbusters were 8-of-26 shooting over the first 20 minutes and 0-of-8 on 3s. They trailed by 16 at the intermission.  

Mynor Strong hit three triples over the first 10 minutes of the second half to give Dodge City its biggest lead, 65-43.  

The Broncbusters did manage to pull within 12 with less than six minutes remaining. Smith hit from deep, Isaiah Dixon found Josiah Sabino for a two-handed flush, and Emmanuel Manyuon rattled home a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 73-61. But the Broncbusters missed three straight triples on their next three possessions including a shot by Chol from the corner that rimmed in-and-out. Dixon then clanged a pair of free throws off the back iron, which was immediately followed by six straight Dodge City points, punctuated by Payne's transition slam that put the visitors up, 79-61 with 3:14 to go.  

Dixon scored nine of his 13 points in the first half for Garden City, which managed only nine points from its bench. Chol had five blocks, and Manyuon finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.