AJ McBride's game-winner lifted the Coffeyville men's basketball team over the Pratt Beavers Wednesday night, 81-78.
The Raven men were looking to get back to their winning ways after a loss to Cloud County on Monday. Meanwhile, the Beavers were looking to prove themselves after a previous 21-point loss to Coffeyville earlier in 2022. The Ravens were also trying to keep pace with the Colby Trojans in a tight battle for the #5 seed in the upcoming Region VI tournament.
For the first 25 minutes of the game, it seemed as if we were headed for another blowout performance. The Ravens came out shooting hot, shooting both 50% from the field and beyond the three-point line. The Beavers shot only 29%, meanwhile, struggling to drive to the basket and convert on their attempts. After a couple of early ties, Coffeyville jumped out to large lead that only seemed to get bigger. That lead was 19 points at the half, 45-26.
After a rather ho-hum start to the second half, the gears started to turn for the home team. The Beavers began to up the pressure, forcing Coffeyville into mistake after mistake as they struggled with their decision-making. A previously 24-point lead began to shrink little by little, and as the home crowd started to get back into the contest, things began to seem a bit dire for the Ravens. Pratt's AJ Weston put the cap on an amazing comeback with a three-pointer from the top of the key, tying the game at 78 each.
After another Coffeyville turnover on the ensuing possession, the Beavers had themselves a chance to win with 5.3 seconds on the clock. However, Weston's inbounds pass was stolen away by Dayshawn Wiley, who found AJ McBride for this stunning game winner.
After further discussion, the officials put .5 seconds back on the clock, but Pratt's full court heave fell well short, giving Coffeyville the heart-stopping victory, 81-78. Love Bettis and McBride led the scoring effort, each with 14, while Jules Bikoy added 13 of his own. The Ravens improve to 14-12 on the season and 12-10 in Jayhawk Conference play.
