Box Score DODGE CITY, Kan. -- As Cowley forward Soufiyane Diakite's potential game-winning shot with 0.5 seconds floated through the air, the Dodge City season hung in the balance.
The Conquistadors had trailed nearly the entire contest and was down by 16 points with 7:14 remaining before storming all the way back to tie the game 83-83.
More than that, DC3 had battled through the gauntlet of a KJCCC schedule to pick up the No. 4 seed and had high hopes of making a return run to the Region VI championship game - and winning it this time.
However, all those hopes were dashed as the ball fell high from its arc and swished through to give the No. 13 Tigers an 85-83 upset victory over the Conqs on Wednesday night at the Dodge City Civic Center.
"It's a tough one," DC3 coach
Kyle Campbell said. "This is a talented, talented group. I feel bad for them to go out like this. But they didn't stop fighting. We had a chance to win the game at the end."
The Conqs (22-9) trailed 81-71 with 2:30 left in the game before three free throws by
James Newton, a steal by
Josh Boutte in the Conqs' press and a 3-pointer by
Jeremy Treaudo with 2:03 left suddenly cut the Cowley lead to 81-77.
Another Boutte steal led to a bucket in the paint by the freshman with 1:45 remaining to slice the Cowley (15-16) lead to two points and give DC3 eight points in a 36-second span.
Cowley next missed two free throws on its end and DC3 swiftly came down and Treaudo hit a turnaround, fade-away jumper near the elbow to tie the game 81-81 to send the DC3 faithful into a frenzy.
The Tigers' Mason Loewen was fouled near midcourt with 40 seconds left and he drained both free throws to give Cowley an 83-81 lead.
DC3 on its next possession eventually got the ball to Boutte in the paint and he scored as he was fouled to tie the game 83-83. Boutte missed the free throw, but the ball bounced around and Treaudo eventually got the ball and a decent look. However, the contested shot was off the mark and DC3 was called for a foul with two seconds remaining - sending Jamon Fulton to the line.
Fulton missed both free throws and DC3 corralled the rebound, but was called for traveling with 0.5 seconds left - giving Cowley one last shot inbounding the ball from under its hoop.
That's when Diakite hit the shot at the buzzer to give Cowley the win as the Tigers advance to the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals in Wichita.
While DC3 had its chances at the end, it was early in the game that cost the Conquistadors.
Foul trouble led to limited minutes for leading scorer and point guard
Lorenzo Dillard (he only played 18 minutes, including just eight in the second half). Overall three Conquistadors fouled out (Dillard, Treaudo and
Jonathan Joseph).
Add that to allowing Cowley to score 49 points in the first half and build a 13-point lead (on the strength of 9-for-20 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes) along with DC3 going just 26-for-46 from the free-throw line and it gave the Conqs a big hole to dig out of.
"We hadn't been in foul trouble like that all year. They called it really close in the first half," Campbell said. "... We couldn't rebound it, they hit (nine) 3s in the first half and only made one in the second half."
Newton, the only player on the roster that has played both years at DC3, led the Conqs with 24 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Boutte finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocks while Treaudo had 18 points.
The Conqs eventually outrebounded the Tigers, 39-34, but surrendered 14 offensive rebounds. DC3 also shot 51 percent from the field (25-for-49) and 41.2 percent from 3-point range (7-for-17). Cowley shot it well from the field as well at 47.8 percent (32-for-67) but finished 10-for-31 from 3-point range after going 1-for-11 in the second half.
Baron Smith led Cowley with 16 points while Diakite had 15 points and nine rebounds.
