March 2016 – Page 96 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

KCKCC women jolt No. 1 JCCC 63-56 in biggest playoff upset

Lady Blue Devils blank Cavaliers in final five minutes, avenging 30-point defeat

KCKCC assistant coaches Dawn Adams, left, and Chamissa Anderson were the first to congratulate head coach Joe McKinstry on his first Region VI championship. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

It may be the greatest upset in Region VI women’s tournament play. And if not it has to be in the conversation.

Just 22 days ago, Kansas City Kansas Community College had been embarrassed by a 30-point loss to a Johnson County team that was undefeated, ranked No. 1 nationally and the defending national champion. And probably a 15-20 point favorite.

But today it is the Lady Blue Devils who are headed for the NJCAA Division II national tournament thanks to a gutty defensive effort that gave up only one free throw in the final five minutes of a 63-56 championship win Thursday at Hartman Arena in Park City. The one free throw came with seven seconds remaining.

“I know I’m mean; I know I’m grouchy; I know I push you hard but it’s because I love you and know the capabilities you have if you reach back and get them and tonight you did,” first year KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry told his champion Blue Devils in an emotional clubhouse celebration. “And now we get to play for the national championship on their (JCCC’s) floor.”

Indeed, the NJCAA Divisional II national tournament will be contested at Johnson County March 15-19. At the same time, the KCKCC men will also be playing in the national tournament by virtue of a 77-67 win over Brown Mackie.

Credit a well-conceived and well-executed game play for the Lady Blue Devils’ win.

“Johnson County is a very good team, very good,” McKinstry said. “We had not played zone against them in our other two games with them so we needed to do something different. We knew we couldn’t stop them off the dribble, that had already been proven. With a zone, we felt we could take away the dribble and limit them to just one shot. Also, with so few players I felt it would help in keeping us out of foul trouble.”

For a quarter, it looked like the strategy might have misfired. The Cavaliers drained 5-of-8 three-pointers and led 17-16.

“If they shoot like that, you just have to live with it,” McKinstry said. “But you have to go with the percentages.” And did – the Cavaliers making just 4-of-23 treys the last three quarters.

Offensively, McKinstry also sprung another surprise on the Cavaliers.

“In our game at Johnson County, they disrespected Arrica Daye as a scorer, laying off her on perimeter shots. I told her they’d would be giving her room and to take the shot.”

And did she ever, 4-of-6 from 3-point range in a night she led all scorers with 17 points.

“Coach told me I would be open and to knock ‘em down,” said the pint-sized (5-4) sophomore guard who also had six rebounds and three assists.

She got lots and lots of help. Cheyenne North had her 14th double double of the season, 14 points and 11 rebounds including eight of KCKCC’s final 16 points. Brooklyn Wagler led all rebounders with 14 as KCKCC won the battle of the boards 40-32. Sierra Roberts took just three shots but two of them were huge three-pointers; Erin Anderson scored eight points; and Brie Tauai was 3-of-4 off the bench.

The Blue Devils took a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter but all the odds were against them. Neither Anderson nor Roberts left the game, the other three starters only briefly after an exhausting win over Highland 36 hours earlier.

“But Johnson County had never been in this situation because they’d won every game so easily. We’d been through it,” McKinstry said.

For three quarters, the lead had changed hands 18 times and there were 11 ties in a furious battle befitting a championship game. JCCC would take its last lead at 48-47 with 9:08 left but Daye’s jump shot quickly got KCKCC a lead back the Blue Devils would not surrender. A North layup and a huge 3-pointer by Roberts extended the lead to 54-50 but JCCC stayed close on Erica Nelson’s fourth 3-pointer.

JCCC’s Chastity Franklin matched yet another North layup to keep the Cavaliers’ deficit at 56-55 with 5:00 left but they would not score again until the final seven seconds. North made two free throws with 3:01 left for a 58-55 lead, then added a layup 32 seconds later and Daye closed out the 7-0 finish with three free throws and set off a wild mid-court celebration.

The win ended a four-game JCCC winning streak over the Blue Devils including a 70-51 win in last year’s Region VI championship en route to the national title. This will be KCKCC’s second appearance in a women’s national tournament, the 1997 team that finished 35-2 placed fifth in the Division I national tournament.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.

High winds result in red flag warning today in Wyandotte County

Windy, warm weekend weather

A red flag warning is in effect from noon to 6 p.m. Friday in Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)

Winds could gust up to 30 mph Friday afternoon. (National Weather Service graphic)

A red flag warning goes into effect at noon today, March 4, in Wyandotte County, and is in effect through 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The warning means there is very high to extreme fire conditions across the region. Residents are asked not to do any open burning today.

Gusty south-southwest winds will combine with dry conditions and fully cured fuels to result in the high fire danger, according to the weather service.

Winds will diminish around sunset and fire weather concerns will wane through the night as temperatures cool and relative humidity values increase, the weather service said.

Today, skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 66, according to the weather service. A south wind will be from 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon, gusting as high as 30 mph.

Tonight, the low will be around 38, according to the weather service. A south southwest wind of 6 to 8 mph will become north northwest after midnight.

Saturday, skies will be sunny with a high near 61, the weather service said. A north northwest wind of 5 to 7 mph will become east in the afternoon.

Saturday night, the low will be around 42, with an east southeast wind of 6 to 10 mph, according to the weather service.

Sunday, there will be a 30 percent chance of rain, with a high near 66, the weather service said. A south wind of 10 to 17 will gust as high as 25 mph.

Sunday night, the low will be around 56, according to the weather service.

Monday, the high will be near 69, and it will be breezy, according to the weather service.

Relative humidity values will drop Friday afternoon. (National Weather Service graphic)

Thunderstorms will be possible throughout the weekend and next week, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)

Gorman running for re-election

Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome A. Gorman is a candidate for re-election.

Gorman, who filed Feb. 15, is running for re-election to the office of District Attorney of the 29th Judicial District, which covers Wyandotte County. He has held that office since 2005.

In filing for re-election, Gorman stated, “It has been my honor to have served our community as a prosecutor in this office for nearly 35 years and to have served as your District Attorney since 2005. I am running for re-election because I believe the job of Wyandotte County District Attorney is an important job within the criminal justice system. The top prosecutor requires experience, leadership and hard work.”

“I went to work for Nick Tomasic in 1981 and realized early on that being a prosecutor was my calling. When I was elected Wyandotte County District attorney in 2004, I didn’t do it as a stepping stone for future political ambitions. To me it was the realization of a dream I had worked more than 20 years to achieve,” Gorman said in a statement. “I feel very fortunate to have the job I always wanted and I’m running for re-election because I want to continue delivering quality legal services in Wyandotte County.”

“I am blessed to go to work every day with what I believe is the best group of prosecutors and support staff in the state. I am proud of all that we, along with our partners in law enforcement, have accomplished over the last 11 years,” Gorman said. “The brave men and women of our local law enforcement agencies work 24 hours a day protecting our community so I make sure our office is available 24 hours a day to assist them. I am personally notified every time a major crime is committed and one of our prosecutors responds to help with search warrants and offer other legal assistance. A prosecutor from our office works every weekend and not a week goes by when we are not called upon to offer assistance outside of ‘normal business hours.”

“During the last 11 years I have overseen a modernization of the District Attorney’s Office. Our courts continue to move towards going completely paperless and I have made the technological investments necessary to ensure that this office is operating efficiently,” Gorman said. “I have also taken steps to make sure we are focusing our resources on those offenders who pose the highest risk to our community. We now have a drug diversion program for low level drug crimes and have completely revamped our general diversion program focusing on low level non-violent offenders.”

“It has been an honor to get up and go to work as your District Attorney each and every day of the last 11 years and I look forward to serving our community for the next four years and beyond,” Gorman said.

Gorman is a 1974 graduate of Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kan. In 1978, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Kansas. In 1981, he graduated with a juris doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law. Soon after graduating from law school he began his career at the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney under Nick Tomasic. He started as a young attorney prosecuting low level cases and worked his way up to become a senior prosecutor handling major crimes, leading the prosecution on many high-profile criminal cases. He is one of the most experienced prosecutors in the state of Kansas.

Gorman’s dedication to prosecution extends well beyond his office. He is a past president of the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association (KCDAA) and was the 2013 recipient of that organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in prosecution. He currently heads up its homicide section. He is also the KCDAA representative to the National District Attorney’s Association and serves on its best practices committee. Gorman is often called upon to testify before the Kansas legislature regarding bills affecting prosecutors and their law enforcement partners.

Gorman has also been a longtime supporter of Sunflower House, a children’s advocacy and abuse prevention center serving Wyandotte and Johnson counties. He and Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe were the presenting sponsors of Sunflower House’s (2010) Valentine’s Gala; the organization’s largest annual fundraiser. Three of his Assistant District Attorneys: Mollie Hill, Jennifer Tatum and Sheryl Lidtke, as well as Victim Advocate Angie Kolenda, have received Sunflower House’s Child Advocate Award. Angie Kolenda has also organized an annual volleyball tournament to benefit Sunflower House for the last three years.

Gorman has provided training to his prosecutors and other prosecutors around the state. He also has provided training to area law enforcement officers within Wyandotte County.

Outside of work, Gorman is actively involved in his community. He is a frequent guest speaker at civic organizations throughout Wyandotte County. Gorman is also an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church where he participates in the Green Club. He served from 1987 to 2003 as athletic director at St. Patrick’s school. He has served on the executive board for Wyandotte and Johnson Catholic Youth Organization since 2005 and has served as its chairman of the board. Gorman has coached youth teams in several organized sports leagues, and for years he served as a referee in youth basketball leagues.

Gorman’s life is strongly centered on his family. He and his wife, Vicki, have three children and two grandsons. They are currently awaiting the arrival of a third grandson in April. Vicki teaches second grade at St. Patrick’s School in Kansas City, Kan. Their daughter Emily graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Notre Dame; their son Pete and daughter Hattie both graduated with doctorate degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

Gorman stated Wyandotte County is very important to him, it’s where he was born and raised, where he was educated, where he served the public for over three decades, and where he and his staff have chosen to raise their families.