SEWARD COUNTY, Kan. (Interstat) — The Seward County Saints defeated the Independence Pirates 80-72 in a men’s junior college basketball game Wednesday night.

Seward County, led by Lucas N’Gombo’s game-high 23 points, used a decisive 41-point first quarter and a 39-23 rebounding advantage to secure the win. The Saints shot 55.4% from the floor. Independence, which got 17 points each from Sekou Kourouma and Trae Lewis, kept pace early but shot just 57.1% on free throws. The Saints improved to 17-10 overall, while the Pirates fell to 12-10.