HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In their first ever trip to Kansas for the NJCAA National Championship, the East Georgia State Bobcats came into their opener and dominated Coffeyville Community College, which many believed was a favorite in the tournament, by a score of 79-47, in the first round.
     The Bobcats (31-2) got out to a hot start, with Jordan Johnson hitting two early 3-pointers.
    They led by a score of 13-0 before Coffeyville was able to put up a basket.
     The Bobcats' defense was really the difference in the game, just as coach Neil Bailey predicted.             Early on, the Bobcats forced tough shot after tough shot for Coffeyville, which struggled to hit anything in the first half and went into the locker room trailing by a score of 38-19.
    Trey HaGood showed up big time on the stat sheet getting four steals while scoring 17 points offensive end, with Johnson knocking down four 3s throughout the game, and scoring a game-high 18 points.
     The Bobcats kept up their defensive pressure and got clicking on offense in the second half and quickly put the game way out of reach cruising to victory.
     The Bobcats' next game will be in the quarterfinals against No. 2 seed and undefeated Spartanburg Methodist, which defeated Kilgore College by a score of 53-51 on Wednesday.             Bailey feels like the Bobcats match up well against Kilgore.
    Tipoff is scheduled for today at 6 p.m.