Month: January 2020

56 percent second-half shooting lets Labette hold off KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College couldn’t overcome Labette’s hot shooting in the second half Wednesday.

Leading 37-33 at halftime, the Cardinals knocked down 14-of-25 second half shots (.560) to turn back every Blue Devil challenge in a 79-71 win in the opening Jayhawk Conference game for both teams in Parsons.

The win boosted Labette’s record to 13-6 while KCKCC fell to 7-12 heading into the Blue Devils’ conference home opener Saturday against Hesston (scheduled women at 2 p.m., men at 4 p.m.).

“We could just never get over the hump,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “We would make a run and they would counter with a run.”

Bryson Dennis, a 6-foot freshman guard from Snellville, Georgia, proved to be the biggest thorn in the Blue Devils’ side. Knocking down 10-of-13 shots from the field including 3-of-4 three-pointers, Dennis had a game high 25 points along with five steals and four assists.

“He ran through the gaps on defense to get those five steals which led to runout baskets,” Labette coach Jerrod Stanford said.

Deron McDaniel had 19 points to lead the Blue Devils. Calvin Slaughter added 14, Robert Rhodes 12, DeAngelo Bell 8, Jermaine Yarbough 7, Ezekiel Lopes 6 and Jalen Davis 5. Rhodes had eight rebounds and Slaughter five to lead the Blue Devils.

Defensively, KCKCC limited the Cardinals to 39.5 percent shooting the first half and forced the Cardinals to melt away the shot clock hunting high-quality shots.

“They (KCKCC) did a good job stopping our initial action,” Stanford said. “Our kids had to adjust and make good decisions. We were able to do that and make shots. But KCK did a great job on defense. Thankfully, we were locked in mentally to see the second options and make those plays.”

“We got out-toughed and still had chances to win,” Burgette said. “Just didn’t execute the game plan well enough and turned the ball over a lot.”

The Blue Devils were guilty of 18 turnovers but Labette had 17. Also, the Cardinals had only a 37-36 edge in rebounding.

In the end, KCKCC was 21-of-53 shots for 39.6 percent while the big second half enabled the Cardinals to make 29-of-63 shots for 46 percent. KCKCC converted 24-of-30 free throws (.800) but Labette outscored the Blue Devils 30-15 from 3-point, knocking down 10-of-21 treys (.476) to 5-of-17 for KCKCC (.294).

In other Jayhawk openers Wednesday, Johnson County won 63-55 at Highland while Hesston took a 62-61 heart-stopper at Fort Scott.

Weather: More snow possible today

An additional half-inch of snow is possible on Friday. (National Weather Service graphic)
I-70 near 18th Street was busy with traffic on Friday morning, after the area received a couple of inches of snow overnight. (KC Scout photo)
Motorists during the morning commute on Friday at I-435 near the Missouri River, after a couple of inches of snow fell overnight. (KC Scout photo)
A side street in Kansas City, Kansas, on Friday morning, after a few inches of snow fell overnight. (Staff photo)
Snow in a backyard garden in Kansas City, Kansas, on Friday morning. (Photo by Mary Rupert)

After a snowfall of about 2 to 3 inches in parts of Wyandotte County overnight, the forecast for Friday calls for another half-inch of snow possible today, mainly before 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory is in effect in Wyandotte County until noon Friday, the weather service said. Accumulating snow could continue falling today until about noon, and then some snow flurries may fall during the afternoon.

Motorists are advised to slow down and use caution while traveling, as the roads could be slippery. The latest highway conditions may be obtained by calling 511, visiting www.kcscout.net or www.kandrive.org.

Today, the high will be near 31 with a northwest wind of 9 to 13 mph, gusting as high as 24 mph, the weather service said. There is a 60 percent chance of precipitation, with less than a half-inch of snow possible.

Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 24 and a northwest wind of 8 to 11 mph, gusting as high as 18 mph, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 38 and a west northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the afternoon, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 25 and a calm wind, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 42 and a calm wind, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 26, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 43, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 28, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 39, the weather service said.

Tuesday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 29, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 42, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 27, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 42, the weather service said.

For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov.