GARDEN CITY, Kan.- A tightly-contested, back-and-forth affair between the Beavers and Broncbusters tilted towards the visiting team, as Pratt eeked out a narrow 81-76 win. 

A pair of New Yorkers, Tommy Thomas and Jamel Horton led the Beavers with 19 points each, as both players shot 7-15 from the field (47 percent). Thomas has seen his offensive numbers rise over the last three games, scoring at least 10 points in each contest. The Harlem native was 4-7 from beyond the arc (57 percent) while snatching eight rebounds. Along with his scoring marks, Horton did a little bit of everything for Pratt, grabbing four rebounds, posting four assists and was given credit for a pair of steals. 

Deontae Davis scored 15 points on 6-14 shooting (43 percent), including 3-8 (38 percent) from three-point range. Davis also led the Beavers with nine rebounds. Zool Kueth had a tough time shooting from distance (0-5), but was 3-6 from two-point range, and was 6-6 from the free throw line en route to a 12-point night. 

Pratt and Garden City played a clean, symmetrical game. The two teams combined for only 17 turnovers with nearly identical shooting numbers. Whereas Garden City struggled to convert turnovers into points, the Beavers took advantage of Broncbuster mistakes, winning the points off of turnovers margin 18-7. 

The Beavers led for most of the first-half, carrying a 38-34 lead into halftime. Five minutes into the second-half, a Davis three-pointer gave Pratt a 52-41, though the Broncbusters bolted out on a 17-7 run over the next three minutes to cut the lead to 59-58. The game teetered for both sides over the next 10 minutes, with Garden City eventually grabbing a 74-72 lead with just under four minutes left on the clock. 

A pair of Kueth free throws gave the Beavers a 77-76 lead with 44 seconds remaining, and the following possession resulted in a missed Garden City layup and subsequent foul. Horton, who was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line, knocked down the latter two makes with 23 seconds to go to give the Beavers a 79-76 lead. The Broncbusters' Tahlik Chavez missed a three-pointer with seconds to spare, allowing Kueth to ice the game at the free throw stripe.

The win improves the Beavers to 17-10 overall and 11-7 in conference play, remaining tied for third in the West division of the KJCCC. The Beavers host Northwest Kansas Technical College on Saturday immediately following the women's game.