November 2017 – Page 70 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Freshman’s record 29 powers Blue Devils to 89-63 win

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

If an opening 89-63 win at Missouri Southern Wednesday is any indication, Kansas City Kansas Community College has a promising future at the point guard position.

Solomon Thomas, a 5-11 freshman from Hogan Prep, poured in 29 points and 5-11 Sedalia frosh Zion Buckner added 14 as they combined for nearly half of the Blue Devils’ opening night points.

Thomas’ 29 points are the most ever scored by a KCKCC freshman in his first game. Four other Blue Devils had nine or more points in a well-balanced attack.

The Blue Devils now come home to open their home season Saturday against Ottawa junior varsity in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff followed Monday by another home contest with Park University in the second half of a doubleheader with Blue Devil women, The games are at 5 and 7 p.m.

“A great way to open the season,” KCKCC coach Kelley Newton said. “It was really nice to see our team play hard together and work at being one unit. We have a long way to go but this was a good first step.”

Leading 38-31 at halftime, the Blue Devils blew Missouri Southern away in the second half with 51.3 percent shooting and total domination of the rebounding. Missouri Southern had a 23-19 rebounding advantage the first half but managed only 12 the second half and just five off the offensive boards.

Meanwhile, KCKCC was doubling up on the rebounds with 24 led by Arother Ratliff, a 6-5 freshman from Greenwood, Miss., who had a double double with 12 rebounds and 13 points. DeVonte Beard, a 6-6 freshman from Ruskin, added eight rebounds and nine points; 6-0 sophomore Josiah Laws of Cumming, Ga., nine points and six rebounds; and 6-2 freshman DuJuan Sweet of Leavenworth nine points and five rebounds.

Thomas and Ratliff each had 13 points to lead KCKCC to its 38-31 halftime lead. Solomon’s big half came on four 3-point goals and he finished with 6-of-11 treys and 10-of-16 for the night.

Roller coaster temperatures next five days

Temperatures will undergo large swings over the next few days as a series of fronts move through the area, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite some passing rain showers, Saturday and Sunday should bring some nice temperatures before a more prolonged period of below normal temperatures early to mid-next week, forecasters said.

Today, expect temperatures to rise to a high of 52, with patchy drizzle after 4 p.m., the weather service said. There will be an east northeast wind of 7 to 10 mph.

Tonight, there will be areas of drizzle and patchy fog after 1 a.m., with a low of 48, according to the weather service. An east wind of 6 mph will become calm in the evening.

Saturday, expect areas of fog before 10 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 64 with a south southwest wind of 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of 55, according to the weather service, and a south wind of 3 to 8 mph.

Sunday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 66, the weather service said. There will be a south southwest wind of 7 to 9 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.

Sunday night, the low will be around 39 with mostly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.

Monday, the high will be near 49 with partly sunny skies, the weather service said.

Monday night, skies will be mostly cloudy with a low of 37, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, the high will be near 47, with a 30 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m., the weather service said.

Tuesday night, the low will be around 33 with mostly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, the high will be near 48 with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.

Former hospital worker sentenced in attack at Fort Leavenworth

A former civilian hospital employee was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison plus three years of supervised release for attacking a woman whom he set on fire, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,464,965.80 to the victim, Lt. Katie Ann Blanchard.

In August, a jury found Clifford Currie, 55, Leavenworth, Kan., guilty of one count of assault with intent to commit murder.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on Sept. 7, 2016, Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his supervisor, Katie Ann Blanchard, lit her on fire and assaulted her with a straight-edge razor and scissors.

A co-worker came to Blanchard’s aid when she heard screams and saw Blanchard on fire from the chest up.

Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.

Beall commended the FBI, the U.S. Army Military Police, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward for their work on the case.