Box Score INDEPENDENCE, Kan. – As Talisha Presley stole the ball and took it all the way in for a layup with 21 seconds left in the third quarter to give Dodge City Community College a 46-45 lead on Independence, the Conquistadors looked primed to steal a game on the road in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament.

However, an Independence 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer ignited a 15-0 run that Dodge City never recovered from as the ninth-seeded Conqs lost to the No. 8 Pirates 68-51 Thursday at the Independence Field House.

DC3 (17-14) went 5:20 without a point as its one-point lead turned into a 14-point deficit after Independence's Brianna Jackson-Brewer stole a pass and glided in for a layup to make it 60-46 Pirates with 6:22 remaining.

The Conqs wouldn't get the deficit to below double digits the rest of the contest.

"They took it to us in that fourth quarter, particularly on the offensive glass," DC3 coach Mark James said. "They were beating us up down low and we never really adjusted. … We just got to be tougher than that."

The Pirates (22-8) grabbed 16 offensive rebounds against the Conqs, turning many of those into second-chance points – particularly in the second half and during the 15-0 run.

Another factor that hurt DC3 in the loss was losing second-leading scorer Antania Newton to a leg injury for much of the game (from the second quarter until late in the fourth quarter).

"Losing Antania certainly hurt," James said. "Taking your best offensive player out of the game certainly doesn't help things. But the kids played hard and didn't quit. I'm proud of their effort."

Presley led DC3 with 10 points while Brittany Leonard finished with nine and Newton and Alexus Johnson had eight apiece. Kyra Fennell led DC3 with 10 rebounds.

Simone Costa led Independence with 23 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals. Jackson-Brewer added 14 points.

The Pirates take on No. 1 Hutchinson on Sunday in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals.