EL DORADO, Kan. – A second-straight road game against a team that is nationally-ranked or receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Top-25 Poll, the Cloud County Community College men's basketball team would see a potential game-tying three in the final seconds hit off the back iron to fall by a score of 72-69 to number-19 nationally-ranked Butler Community College inside the Power Plant in El Dorado, Kansas on Saturday, December 11th.
 
Falling for the first time in three games, CCCC is now 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while Butler improves to 10-3 overall and 5-3 in the KJCCC with four of their five conference wins coming at home.
 
Three-point shooting would be on point for the T-Birds early as Malang Athian and Nate Duckworth would combine for three triples and a jumper to score the first 11 points for Cloud County and match the scoring output from BCCC in the first five minutes of the contest. Athian's second three would come with 15:45 left in the first half and spark an 11-0 run for the T-Birds that would put CCCC up 19-10 with 12:29 left in the first half and reach double-digits 30 seconds later.
 
Butler would start to find their way to the free-throw line midway through the opening period which would allow the Grizzlies to get back within seven at 21-14, but it would be short-lived as DeMarco Clayton and Duckworth would score the next four points to stake Cloud County to their largest lead of the game at 25-14. With things still at an 11-point lead for CCCC with 5:55 remaining in the half, Butler would manage to score the next five points and 15 of the next 16 as the T-Birds would go 5:15 between field goals but manage to keep even with the Grizzlies at the half as Joe Kearney triple would tie things at 35-35 heading into halftime.
 
A quick two points from Athian in the opening seconds of the second half would be erased by BCCC going on a 7-0 run that would push the Grizzlies out to a five-point lead before a pair of Justin Graham free throws to bring CCCC back within one possession. The Grizzly lead would manage to hover between three and six points for the next several minutes of game action as the two teams would manage to match each other offensively with Butler able to hold their lead up to the mid-way point of the second half.
 
Trailing 56-51 with 10:26 left in the game, Cloud County would turn to Clayton who would hit a three followed by a jump shot to put together a 5-0 stretch to tie the game at 56 all with 9:27 left. Duckworth would then give CCCC their first lead since the opening seconds of the second half with a layup as things would continue to remain close.
 
After reclaiming the lead, Cloud County would be able to keep just out in front of the Grizzlies as things would become a free throw shooting contest with both teams in the bonus and fouls starting to mount up on both sides. Holding a 61-58 lead with 5:21 left, CCCC would see Butler tie things up a minute later before going back up three as Duckworth would hit a jumper and then split a pair of free throws on the next offensive possession to make it 64-61. BCCC would not give up however as the Grizzlies would score five of the next six points to go back up one before conceding the lead again Joe Kearney would hit a pair of free throws to put Cloud County back up 67-66 with 2:05 left.
 
Butler would tie things one final time with a trip to the free throw line with 1:02 remaining and then go back up on a layup 23 seconds later after an empty possession for the T-Birds on the offensive end. Another empty opportunity for CCCC would force the T-Birds to have to foul and try to extend the game as Butler would split a pair of free throws to keep things at a one-possession game. Cloud County would opt to drive to the bucket and get a layup from Corey Sawyer Jr. with 12 seconds remaining and once again foul BCCC as the Grizzlies would this time cash in on both free throws. After getting the ball across half-court, CCCC would call a timeout to draw up a potential game-tying play and manage to get an open look in the far corner for Clayton with three seconds left but see the shot hit off the back rim and bounce into the hands of a Butler play as time expired and allow the Grizzlies to escape with a home win.
 
Outshooting the Grizzlies in the contest, Cloud County would shoot 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the floor and eight-of-22 (36.4 percent) from beyond the arc but would struggle from the free throw line (11-for-21, 52.4 percent). Butler would wind up 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the field and five-of-15 (33.3 percent) from three to go along with a 25-of-32 (78.1 percent) effort from the charity stripe. A relatively even rebounding battle would go to BCCC by a 33-30 margin along with a 12-8 advantage in second-chance points and a 14-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Putting up a game-high 19 points for the second-straight contest, Duckworth would also provide five assists and four rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the T-Birds. Athian would finish with 13 points to finish as the only other player for Cloud County in double-figures as the starting five would account for 57 of the 69 points. Three players ended up in double-figures for Butler with Marque English going a perfect seven-for-seven at the free-throw line as part of a team-best 16 points.
 
What's Next?
Cloud County will host arguably their toughest test of the season to date on Monday, December 13th when Dodge City comes to Arley Bryant Gymnasium for an 8 PM tip-off. Dodge City is currently ranked number nine in the latest NJCAA Top-25 poll and is at number-four ranked Hutchinson on Saturday evening at the time of this release.