Diallo’s Buzzer-Beating Three Lifts Men's Basketball to Victory

COLBY, Kan. — In a rivalry matchup that delivered drama until the final second, Colby Trojans closed with poise as Aliou Diallo buried a go-ahead three-pointer with one second remaining to lift the Trojans to a 71–70 victory over Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Wednesday (Feb. 25) night.

Colby came out aggressive offensively as Giannis Asimakopoulos opened the scoring with a three-pointer on the Trojans' first possession. Diallo followed shortly after with a triple of his own, giving Colby early energy. Gabe Njenga established a presence inside, scoring on consecutive trips to keep the Trojans within 16–14 midway through the opening half.

Diallo then converted an and-one opportunity to give Colby its first lead of the night, and moments later Njenga knocked down a three-pointer off a Diallo steal to extend the advantage. Tyce Bollers provided a spark off the bench with a quick basket, but Fort Hays Tech Northwest responded with an 8–0 run, highlighted by two three-pointers, to swing momentum back in its favor and build a four-point cushion.

The remainder of the first half unfolded in a back-and-forth rhythm. D.J. Cason answered with a three-pointer of his own, Rhett Kats connected from deep, and Diallo continued his strong half with another triple. In the closing moments before halftime, Diallo knocked down a key three, and Cason was fouled on a three-point attempt, calmly converting all three free throws. Colby entered the break holding a narrow 37–35 advantage.

Fort Hays Tech Northwest opened the second half with a three-pointer to reclaim the lead and gradually built separation. Midway through the half, the Tigers pushed their advantage to seven and later stretched it to 10 behind timely perimeter shooting. The Tigers finished the night 10-of-28 from three-point range and held a rebounding edge that helped them control key stretches of the game.

Colby responded with resilience. Cason once again drew contact on a three-point attempt, converting at the line, and Nana Keutcha delivered a powerful dunk that energized the home crowd and trimmed the deficit to four. Despite another three from the Tigers that extended the lead back to seven, the Trojans refused to let the game slip away.

Asimakopoulos, Njenga, and Cason combined to fuel a 9–2 run that cut the margin to three. Njenga then ignited the decisive stretch of the contest, hitting a three-pointer before sprinting the floor for a fast-break dunk moments later, bringing Colby within one possession with just over two minutes remaining.

On the defensive end, Asimakopoulos recorded a critical block that led to a transition opportunity, and Njenga finished at the rim to tie the game. Fort Hays Tech Northwest responded with another three-pointer with 1:30 left to take a three-point lead, but Cason answered with a driving floater to bring the Trojans back within one.

After a late foul, Marquintez Dixon split a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining, giving the Tigers a 70–68 lead and Colby one final possession. Diallo secured the defensive rebound, pushed the ball up the floor without hesitation, and rose from beyond the arc to knock down a go-ahead three-pointer with one second left on the clock. The Trojans held defensively on the ensuing inbounds to secure the 71–70 victory.

Colby finished the night shooting 24-of-55 from the field (43.6 percent), including 10-of-27 from three-point range (37.0 percent), and an efficient 13-of-14 from the free-throw line (92.9 percent). The Trojans recorded 13 assists and committed 14 turnovers while holding the Tigers to 37.9 percent shooting overall.

Diallo led the way with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Njenga added 16 points on an efficient 7-of-10 performance from the field while contributing four assists. Cason matched 16 points, hitting 6-of-6 at the line and adding three assists. Keutcha controlled the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points, while Asimakopoulos contributed eight points and two blocks.

Fort Hays Tech Northwest was led by Dixon's game-high 22 points, while Riccardo Marzetti added 14 off the bench and Da'King Smith finished with 12. The Tigers outrebounded Colby 31–24 and scored 19 points off turnovers but were ultimately undone by late-game execution and Diallo's decisive shot.