First half struggles proved costly for the Coffeyville men's basketball team Saturday, falling to county rivals Independence 88-67.

 

The Pirates pulled away early and never looked back. Shooting 50% from the field and 54.5% from the 3-point line, Independence seemed to have answers to any questions the Ravens asked defensively. An originally modest lead hit double-digits at just 18-8, and by halftime, that lead had grown to a staggering 50-24.

 

Out of the break, the Pirates would continue their hot shooting streak, taking a 37-point lead at 84-47. A 20-4 Coffeyville run before the end of the game brought the final score back a tad, but still was not enough to prevent the 21-point loss.

 

Dayshawn Wiley led all scorers with 24 points, going 8-14 from the field and 5-7 from beyond the arc. Love Bettis and Deng Mayar reached double-digits with 19 and 10, respectively.

 

Coffeyville has now dropped five straight games and now sit at 5-8, 2-5 in the Jayhawk Conference . They'll take the rest of the year off, then hit the road to battle the Cloud County Thunderbirds on January 5th.