Month: March 2017

Late losses cost KCKCC first Jayhawk and Region VI championships

Kansas City Kansas Community College head coach Kelley Newton will lose his entire 2016-2017 starting lineup, from left, Kellen Turner, Jon Murray, Donald Metoyer, Garrick McCuller II and Mike Lee Jr., all of whom played roles on last year’s national tournament team. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College came oh so close in 2017 but came away without the proverbial cigar in Jayhawk Conference men’s basketball.

With a 7-1 conference start, the Blue Devils put themselves in position to win their first Division II Jayhawk and Region VI championships but faltered late and finished in a second place tie at 8-4.

“The season switched gears after a really tough first semester (2-12),” KCKCC coach Kelley Newton said. “We hit a stretch of winning seven of our first eight games in the conference which was very rewarding and a chance to control our own destiny, which is one of the things you want to position yourself every season.”

However, conference champion Highland completed a sweep of the Blue Devils with a 63-56 win at KCKCC and after a key 59-47 win at Fort Scott, KCKCC fell on the road at Labette 69-52 and then dropped a 79-71 decision to Johnson County that dropped the Blue Devils into a tie for second with JCCC and out of a first-round playoff bye. The season-ending loss capsulized the Blue Devil season, a desperation last-second 3-pointer that officials ruled good (video showed otherwise) gave Fort Scott its only lead 60-59 in first round playoff action.

“The Highland loss at home was very deflating and then the loss at Labette,” Newton said. “Those were the games we wish we could have back. Both games were big as far as seeding implications as to first and third and we let those slip away.

“Our biggest issues were rebounding and scoring droughts,” he said. “We did not do a good job of rebounding and that had nothing to do with size and everything to do with desire and wanting to. And we struggled scoring the ball at key times. We only averaged 68 points. We needed to be at 78. Had we, we would have won several more games.”

Graduation will take all five starters, all of whom played roles in KCKCC winning last year’s Region VI tournament and earning the Blue Devils their first national tournament berth. Three Blue Devils earned All-Jayhawk Conference honors, 6-9 center Jon Murray and guards Kellen Turner (6-0) and Mike Lee Jr. (6-2) who will be lost along with 6-9 center Donald Metoyer and 6-2 guard Garrick McCuller II.

Murray led the Jayhawk in rebounding by a wide margin, averaging 9.2; finished second in scoring at 14.3; and had 15 double-doubles in earning first team honors. Turner led in scoring with a 16.5-point average, which was No. 2 in the conference and first team worthy. He was also second in 3-point field goal accuracy in the league (.450) and second on the team in assists.

Normally a team that finishes 11-20 overall, turnovers are a major problem. Not the Blue Devils who led the Jayhawk in fewest turnovers, 11.9 per game. That was because of Lee, who led in assists with 5.6 and an outstanding 3.0 ratio of assists to turnovers. Third in scoring at 12.2 per game, he also was second in rebounding with 4.7 a game.

“We did not turn the ball over a lot and that’s a tribute to Mike Lee,” Newton said. “We have been very fortunate in my four years to have Ray Ridley for two years and now Mike for two years, two guys who could really take care of the ball and get everyone involved.

“Kellen (Turner) had a great year, outstanding. Our leader in every sense, he embraced being double and triple teamed and faced guarded and shot the ball at a pretty good clip, especially from 3-point where his percentage has to be one of the best in program history.

“Jon Murray had a great two years, improving in every category, averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds this year after 12 and 7 as a freshman,” he said. “He grew both as a player and a person and gained a lot of confidence.”

A Washington graduate, Metoyer averaged 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while McCuller averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 assists.

“As a coach, you like to see improvement from year to year and Donald and Garrick both did that and put themselves in position to be recruited,” he said.

“I take my hat off to this sophomore class. They are a part of history, finishing 22-13 and earning KCKCC’s first national tournament berth last year. We owe a great deal to what they accomplished, a piece of history that can never be diminished. It’s going to be tough to see them go. I wish them nothing but the best,” he said.

Homicide victim identified

The victim of a homicide on Thursday night has been identified, according to police.

The victim was Nathan Kiesling, 19, a resident of Kansas City, Kansas, police said.

Police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South 35th Street about 9:48 p.m. March 9, and found a victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound, the spokesman said. The victim was found outside a residence.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is conducting a homicide investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Sporting KC plans home opener Saturday against Dallas in KCK

Sporting Kansas City returns to state-of-the-art Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, on Saturday to play host to FC Dallas in the club’s 2017 home opener.

The Western Conference battle will kick off at 8 p.m. and a limited number of tickets, including standing-room only tickets, are available at SeatGeek.com.

FOX Sports Kansas City will televise three hours of live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ESPN 99.3FM (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish) will also air live broadcasts, while mobile users can catch a live stream on FOX Sports GO.

Supporters are encouraged to arrive early at Children’s Mercy Park for a light show and fireworks before kickoff. The first 15,000 fans through the gates will also receive a free schedule magnet courtesy of match sponsor Children’s Mercy, and alternative rock band Hembree will perform after the game in the Boulevard Members Club.

Goalkeeper Tim Melia was the star of the show in Week 1, saving a penalty kick to preserve Sporting Kansas City’s clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at D.C. United. Manager Peter Vermes notably gave debuts to Gerso and Ilie, both of whom delivered solid performances in their maiden MLS matches. Midfield talisman Benny Feilhaber came closest to finding the back of the net, but Bill Hamid’s acrobatic stop prevented a well-struck free kick from nestling into the top corner.

FC Dallas has enjoyed a superb start to the 2017 campaign as defending U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield champions. Oscar Pareja’s side blitzed Arabe Unido in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals before claiming a 2-1 road win over the LA Galaxy last Saturday. Dallas received goals in that match from Maxi Urruti – the club’s 2016 leading scorer – and U.S. international Kellyn Acosta, a breakout midfielder whose three goals this year (all competitions) already eclipse his total from last season.

In 2016, FC Dallas became the first club in MLS history to earn at least 60 points in back-to-back seasons. Much of the team’s success revolved around a balanced scoring attack and a standout center back pairing: Matt Hedges was named 2016 MLS Defender of the Year, while Walker Zimmerman finished among the league leaders in duels won, clearances and interceptions. The Texas outfit knocked off the New England Revolution to hoist the U.S. Open Cup before securing the Supporters’ Shield on Decision Day.

Despite Dallas’ success, recent head-to-head history paints a positive picture for Sporting KC. Vermes’ men have won four straight home meetings in all competitions, outscoring FC Dallas 15-3 during that stretch. Sporting KC is also 7-0-2 in its last nine MLS home matches – a streak that began with a 2-0 triumph over FC Dallas last June.

Supporters hoping for plenty of goals on Saturday will be encouraged by a high-scoring trend in the series. Not only has Sporting KC scored in 13 straight games against FC Dallas, but the last seven meetings have produced a combined 29 goals. Feilhaber has relished the fixture in particular, amassing four goals and seven assists in his last seven appearances versus the team.

Both teams have acquired key pieces during the offseason while retaining veteran cores. Sporting KC’s Gerso and Ilie started last week, while 20-year-old forward Latif Blessing awaits his debut. Dallas also made some shrewd moves, acquiring veteran outside back Hernan Grana from Argentina and signing Paraguayan striker Cristian Colman as a Young Designated Player.

Sporting KC enters Saturday with a relatively clean bill of health. The hosts remain without long-term absentee Diego Rubio (ACL), while Cameron Iwasa is questionable with a hamstring strain. U.S. U-20 defender Erik Palmer-Brown is also questionable, having sprained his ankle during the CONCACAF U-20 Championship Final last Sunday – shortly before winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

Dallas will be without three players who contributed valuably in 2016. MLS Best XI selection Mauro Diaz is sidelined with a torn Achilles, Victor Ulloa is out with a sports hernia, and Ryan Hollingshead continues to recover from a neck injury he suffered in a roadside accident in January.

– Story from Sporting KC