March 28, 2024

Getting back to the basics

Road game woes continue as SWCC takes five-game losing streak into break

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Southwestern men’s basketball will head into the holiday break losing five games in a row after falling to Johnson County Community College (NJCAA Div. II No. 12) and Highland Community College (NJCAA Div. II No. 2) by 20 points each Saturday and Sunday.

It was the first half in both contests where the Spartans dug themselves into a hole as SWCC fell behind by 17 on Saturday to Johnson County and by 21 against Highland Sunday at the intermission.

Struggles shooting has be a key component in the Spartans’ losses over the last five games and the same problems showed over the weekend as SWCC shot 37 percent from the floor in both contests.

“During this whole stretch, where we’ve lost five in a row, guys have really struggled to find the hole,” said SWCC head coach Blake Peterson.

Ryan Warren put up 19 points in Saturday’s contest against JCCC, but suffered a knee injury in the game that forced him to miss out Sunday’s matchup. The Spartans were also without backup point guard Brandon Reed for both contests.

Peterson tried to mix up the second half lineups in each game to try and find a spark, but the deficits were too great to overcome.

The head coach is hoping the break can lead to Southwestern “locking back in” on the defensive end of things, noting that the consecutive losses have worn on all facets of the Spartans’ game.

“We just don’t have the energy or the juice right now. We’re not buying into that. ... The last couple games took a little bit out of us. I think we lost our legs a little bit,” said Peterson. “We just haven’t been locked in emotionally, ... which has led to some mental mistakes as well.”

The break will allow everyone to get away and, as Peterson hopes, reset for the 2019 portion of the campaign as SWCC opens with one more non-conference contest before hitting the bulk of ICCAC play.

Gatdoar Kueth led the way for Southwestern’s scoring efforts with 11 points on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. The sophomore also continues to fight down low, grabbing 15 boards in the two games.

The road woes continue for the Spartans, who have shot nearly 10 percent worse from the floor in opposing gymnasiums, while also averaging nine fewer assists per game and scoring 20 fewer points per game on the road than at home.

“We’ve just kind of been in a funk shooting the ball and not to make an excuse, but that kind of deflates us a little bit,” said Peterson. “This group that saw so much success last year, ... you get that kind of invincibility feeling to you, ... once that invincibility goes away it’s hard to find.

“We need to get back to the basics. That’s what got us to be so successful,” Peterson said.

UP NEXT – Southwestern (10-5, 0-2) opens up the new year back on the road Jan. 8 against Southeastern Community College.

Johnson County 94, Southwestern 74

SWCC (74) — 36 38

JCCC (94) — 53 41

SWCC (FG FT PTS) — Totals — 23 18-23 74. Ryan Warren 5 6-6 19, Rasheed Barze 4 2-2 12, Chad Moran 2 8-11 12, Gatdoar Kueth 5 1-2 11, Jadon Payton 2 0-0 6, Trevonte Diggs 2 0-0 4, Noah Persich 1 1-2 4, Jordan Doss 1 0-0 3, D’Marqueyon Whittington 1 0-0 3. 3-point goals — 10 (Warren 3, Barze 2, Payton 2, Doss 1, Whittington 1, Perisch 1). Rebounds – 31 (Barze 8, Kueth 7, Warren 4, Doggs 3, Moran 3). Assists – 12 (Persich 5, Warren 3, Moran 2, Diggs 1, Barze 1). Steals – 3. Blocks – 1 Team fouls — 17. Fouled out — Moran.

JOHNSON COUNTY (FG FT PTS) — Totals — 34 16-21 94. Nick Larkin 9 3-3 24, David Turner 7 5-6 19, Isaiah Sears 5 2-4 15, JaQuaylayon Mays 5 0-0 11, Nic Slavin 3 1-1 9, Samaj Ray 3 2-2 9, Xavier Womack 1 2-4 4. 3-point goals —10 (Larkin 3, Sears 3, Slavin 2, Mays 1, Ray 1). Rebounds – 39 (Turner 9, Larkin 7, Mays 5). Assists – 19 (Larkin 7, Ray 3). Blocks – 5. Steals – 6. Team fouls — 16. Fouled out — None.

Highland 81, Southwestern 61

SWCC (61) — 28 33

HIGH (81) — 49 32

SWCC (FG FT PTS) — Totals — 20 13-18 61. Gatodar Kueth 5 5-6 16, Chad Moran 4 3-6 11, Jordan Doss 2 3-4 8, Jadon Payton 2 2-2 7, D’Marqueyon Whittington 2 0-0 6, Trevonte Diggs 2 0-0 5, Rasheed Barze 2 0-0 5, Noah Persich 1 0-0 3. 3-point goals — 8 (Whittington 2, Payton 1, Perisch 1, Kueth 1, Diggs 1, Doss 1, Barze 1). Rebounds – 33 (Kueth 8, Moran 7, Barze 6, Persich 3, Diggs 3, Payton 2, Doss 2, Whittington 1). Assists – 10 (Whittington 3, Persich 3, Payton 1, Kueth 1, Doss 1, Barze 1). Steals – 5. Team fouls — 16. Fouled out — Kueth.

HIGHLAND (FG FT PTS) — Totals — 29 16-22 81. Taiveyhon Mason 12 1-1 27, Luiz Machado Jr. 5 1-2 14, Tristen Hull 4 3-4 11, Rashon Johnson 2 6-6 10, DJ Doakes 1 2-2 5, Amear Johnson 2 0-0 5, Jaquan Daniels 1 2-4 4, Jaron Flowers 2 0-1 4, Malik Cushon 0 1-2 1. 3-point goals —7 (Machado Jr. 3, Mason 2, Johnson 1, Doakes 1). Rebounds – 41 (Hull 6, Daniels 5, Doakes 5, Johnson 5). Assists –13 (Hull 3). Blocks – 1. Steals – 8 (Mason 3). Team fouls — 18. Fouled out — None.