Men's Basketball Second Half Surge Not Enough Against Pratt

COLBY, Kan. — The Colby Trojans men's basketball team delivered an inspired second-half performance and erased a double-digit deficit, but an early surge by Pratt proved decisive as the Trojans fell 71–67 Wednesday (Jan. 7) night at the Colby Event Center.

Pratt opened the game with purpose, racing out to a 6–0 lead before Gabe Njenga got Colby on the board with a strong finish inside for the Trojans' first basket. The Beaver offense was sharp from the opening tip, as Colby native Hunter Vaughn knocked down a three-pointer to extend Pratt's advantage to 9–2 in the early minutes.

Colby responded behind the play of D.J. Cason and Njenga, who quickly emerged as the offensive catalysts in the first half. Cason scored on a driving finish, followed by another Njenga bucket to trim the deficit. The Trojans found momentum midway through the half when Kellan Simoneau came off the bench and buried a deep three-pointer, pulling Colby within six and energizing the home crowd.

Each time Colby threatened, Pratt answered. After another Beaver score, Cason responded with a three-pointer of his own. Simoneau later connected again from long range, keeping the Trojans within striking distance. Nana Keutcha added a pair of free throws late in the half, but Pratt closed strong, carrying a 42–30 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, Colby flipped the script. Rhett Kats took control early in the second half, scoring eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, to slash the deficit to just four in a matter of seconds. The Trojan's defensive energy increased as well, forcing tougher looks and creating more transition opportunities.

Njenga continued his strong play on the offensive end, finding efficient scoring chances around the basket and making smart reads. Cason followed with a three-pointer to cut the Pratt lead to four, and after another Beaver bucket, Cason struck again from beyond the arc to make it a three-point game.

Colby completed the comeback when Njenga hiyt a clutch corner three to tie the game. However, Pratt responded immediately out of the break, stringing together an 8–0 run to regain control in the closing minutes. The Trojans made one final push, scoring five quick points in the final 20 seconds to bring the deficit within reach, but the comeback ultimately fell short as Pratt held on for the 71–67 victory.

Cason led Colby with 20 points, shooting 4-of-5 from three-point range and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Njenga added 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Keutcha pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Kats finished with eight points, all coming in a pivotal second-half stretch.

Pratt was paced by Vaughn's game-high 22 points, while Galvin Luketa added 15 points on five made three-pointers. The Beavers shot 46.4 percent from the field and forced 17 turnovers, which proved to be the difference.

Colby drops to 4–11 (2-7 KJCCC), while Pratt earns its first conference victory of the season. The Trojans will look to build on their strong second-half performance as league play continues Saturday (Jan. 10) in Goodland, KS.