Box Score CONCORDIA, Kan. – As KJCCC play began this weekend, the Dodge City men's basketball team was in a battle with Cloud County Community College on Saturday night. The Conqs were able to outlast the Thunderbirds, winning by a score of 71-70.
 
Tajae Anderson led all scorers once again with 16 points, with teammate Marquis McCray adding 15 points and seven boards. Hunter Davis led Dodge City with 10 rebounds on the day. For the second straight game, Justice Dixon also collected seven assists in 28 minutes of play.
 
Tamaje Blackwell hit his first three of the game just three minutes into the game, but the T-Birds then went on an 8-0 run to give them a 12-7 lead. After not scoring for five minutes, Dayton McGroarty was able to knock down a three-pointer to cut the lead to 12-10.
 
After the media timeout, Tajae Anderson was able to tie the game at 19, scoring on a pass from Marquis McCray. The Conqs then took their second lead of the game with six minutes left to play in the half on two free throws from McGroarty.
 
With 4:41 to play in the half, Anderson found Justice Dixon who hit a big three-pointer to extend the Dodge City lead to four, forcing Cloud to call a timeout. The Conqs led by five with just under one minute to play, but the T-Birds finished out the first half on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 31 heading into the locker room.
 
To start the second half, the Conqs and T-Birds traded the lead back and forth until two free throws by Blackwell and back-to-back layups from McCray gave Dodge City a 47-40 lead with 14:15 to play in the game.
 
With the Conqs leading by six at the media timeout, Anderson then hit back-to-back shots to push the lead to 56-45, forcing Cloud to call another timeout. The T-Bird's went four straight minutes without scoring a field goal, cutting the lead to nine, but a layup from Jyrus Freels pushed the lead back to 10.
 
Cloud was able to go on a late 5-2 run to cut the lead to two, but Bruce Hodges came up clutch drilling a big three-pointer, then sunk one free throw on the next possession to get the lead back to 64-58.
 
After a timeout by Cloud, the T-Birds were able to cut the lead to three on a layup from Ramion Burt Jr., but Justice Dixon stepped up, hitting a free throw and finishing a layup to get the Conqs lead back to six, 68-62. With 39 seconds left in the game, Shawn Lee cut the lead to just one point before Hodges buried a three-pointer with 13 seconds left to give Dodge City a 71-67 lead. Cloud then knocked down a three of their own, to cut the lead back to one. Cloud then missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving Dodge City the 71-70 win.

"Tonight was about our kids and their great will to win," head coach Steve Tucker said. "I am very proud of our team. It was a team win tonight."
 
The Conqs move to 3-1 overall on the year and 1-0 in conference play. They will be in action again on November 11, as they continue KJCCC play at 7:30 against Pratt Community College.