
Hutchinson, Kansas- The Connors State warmups read "This one's for Momma Muse" and that mantra was the rallying cry for three months.
Connors became the Cardiac Cowboys at the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championships this past week but saw the ultimate dream escape in the title game with a 69-61 loss to Trinity Valley,Texas, Community College on Saturday in Hutchinson, Kansas. But what a run by the Cowboys.
Fueled by the unexpected December death of Connie Muse, wife of head coach Bill Muse, mother to assistant coach Bill Muse Jr. and the mother hen of Connors basketball for 33 years, this team put their grieving coaches on their shoulders. This was a team that featured 11 new players with no returners but found a higher purpose to come together and breeze through the conference and Region 2 tournament to give the elder Muse his 17th trip to the JUCO nationals.
The Cowboys trailed late in the game but went on a 19-5 run over the last six minutes and still trailed by 10 with 5:24 to play. Freshman Jermiah Johnson had three steals, five free throws and a tip-in in the final three minutes and DJ Dormu, who earned the Bud Obee Small Player of the Tournament Award, hit four charities in the last five seconds to seal an 80-75 win. Dormu had 25 points and big man Ed Daniels, who along with Dormu was named to the All-Tournament Team, recorded his first of five double doubles with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
The quarterfinal game against eighth seeded Daytona (Fl) State again saw Connors come from behind with a 14-0 run over the last three-and-a half minutes capped by a game-tying 3-pointer by Dormu with :38 left. Daniel hit the game-winning free throw with seven seconds left and grabbed a rebound off a missed charity to secure a 66-65 victory. The Cardiac Cowboys rally again.
After a day off, the Cowboys played South Plains, Texas, College in the semifinals. This looked like it would be an easier game as Connors played well and the Texans struggled from the field with the Cowboys owning a 40-28 lead at the half. But South Plains took advantage of a 27-7 gap in second chance points to stay close and eventually made it 67-63 with 4:52 to play. Connors stretched it back out to 11 on a trey by Dormu with 3:26 left and the Texans would get no closer than five the rest of the way as Connors won 80-74.
As comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to complain "I just get no respect", the Connors State Cowboys could make the same claim for the second year in a row with no ranking and low seeding. But this time they had a mission and surely some divine help from Momma Muse to gain that respect and send Papa Muse to his first ever championship game in what had to be the most challenging and maybe rewarding season of his long coaching career.