DODGE CITY, Kan. - Leading at the end of the first quarter, the Dodge City Community College women's basketball team would be outscored 24-12 in the second quarter and could never recover in a 72-62 home loss to Cloud County Community College at the Student Activities Center in Dodge City. 

The Loss drops DC3 to 0-3 on the season and 0-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the T'Birds improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the KJCCC. 

Cloud County jumped out to a quick 11-5 lead over the Conquistadors before Dodge City would come storming back to take an 18-17 lead at the end of the first quarter with an Alexus Johnson three-point basket. The Thunderbirds would score 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter to take a 27-21 lead and keep the pressure on the Conquistadors who would have 13 turnovers at the half. Cloud County would lead by as many as 13 in the first half before a Johnson basket with 11 seconds remaining in the half would cut the lead to 41-30 at intermission. 

To open the second half, Cloud County would push their lead to 16 before Dodge City would cut the deficit back down to three at 52-49 and make it look like a brand new ballgame. CCCC would score the final four points of the quarter to regain breathing room and go ahead 56-49 at the end of three stanzas. Reapplying the pressure that worked earlier in the game, Cloud would keep their foot on the pedal and push their lead back to 17 and never give the Conqs a chance to make any type of comeback and spoil head coach Zach Loll's home debut. 

"We have to find more consistency" said coach Loll in a post-game interview. "We have to find a defense that works we can play consistently to stop people." "Foul trouble hurt us today which caused us to use rotations that we normally don't use, but we have to remember to worry about the controllable things." "Getting better at communication and talking to each other will make the difference, and it will allow us to put together a full game."

As a team, DC3 shot a dismal 29 percent (18-62) from the field despite hitting six of 12 treys (50%). The T'Birds held a 53-42 rebounding advantage and took advantage of 17 total DC3 turnovers compared to 16 of their own. 

Johnson led all players with 24 points to go along with six rebounds and two assists while Dodge City native Baily Shelor had 13 points. Jakyia Chambers led the Conqs with eight rebounds while Brittany Leonard had the only Dodge City block of the game. Cloud County was led by Erin Alexander who finished with 22 points and 21 rebounds. 

A KJCCC road trip to Pratt is next in store for the Conquistadors on Wednesday, Nov. 16th with a 6 p.m. tip-off from the Beaverdome.