Month: January 2021

No. 9 Lady Blue Devils nip No. 15 North Central in 71-67 thriller

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Winning a season opening game is always good. Beating a ranked team is even better as Kansas City Community College’s women proved Wednesday.

Ranked No. 9 in the first NJCAA Division II basketball poll of the season, the Lady Blue Devils wiped out a 4-point deficit in the final 2½ minutes for a 71-67 win over No. 15 ranked North Central Missouri in Trenton.

A 3-pointer from deep in the corner by Wichita sophomore Jada Mayberry, the biggest goal of her young career, proved to be the difference. The trey broke a 66-66 tie with 1:07 remaining and freshman Faith Putz clinched the win with two free throws with 10 seconds to go.

The Blue Devils, who led 57-50 entering the final quarter, trailed 66-62 before Park Hill freshman DeQuaria Guillory tied it with a pair of close range field goals, the last with 1:17 left.

“Extremely proud of this group to come away with a win against a ranked opponent on the road in their first game,” KCKCC Coach Joe McKinstry said. “North Central is a very good team, one that is going to win a lot of games this spring.”

McKinstry went deep into his bench in the opener, getting scoring from 10 players. Guillory led a very balanced attack with 11 points while Mayberry and Platte County sophomore Hannah Valentine added 9 each, freshman Ikia Elam 8, sophomore Mercer Roberts and freshman Trinity McDow 7
each and De’Jaria Guillory 6.

“We have plenty that we can improve upon but it’s great to see the balanced scoring as well as forcing NCMC into 25 turnovers,” McKinstry said. “This group has the potential to hurt their opponents in a lot of ways.”

Statistically, the two teams were about as even as the final score. The Pirates had a slight .429-.418 edge in field goal accuracy; KCKCC won the rebound battle 31-30. Neither team shot free throws well, the Blue Devils 9-of-19; the Pirates 12-of-24.

The Lady Blue Devils stay on the road Saturday, playing Central College in Columbus, Nebraska, at 1 p.m. with a men’s game to follow at 3 p.m. before opening at home against Park University junior varsity Jan. 28.

Four spectators per participant approved for high school sports

The Kansas State High School Activities Association board on Wednesday approved four spectators per participant at winter sports.

Local school districts may decide to have fewer or no spectators at events.

The rule will be in effect from Jan. 29 until the end of winter activities season, only for the 2020-2021 school year.

The KSHSAA Executive Board voted 46-27 in favor of the rule for four spectators.

The new rule: “Beginning January 29 until the end of winter activities regular season this school year, a maximum of four spectators per participant will be permitted to attend with appropriate social distancing required. Local school districts may choose to have stricter limitations based on seating and local health department guidelines.”

Resident injured in fire

An injury to a resident was reported at a fire at a home at 5:38 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, in the 900 block of Greeley, according to a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department.

Heavy smoke and fire was reported by crews when they arrived at the single-story home, the spokesman stated.

A man in his mid-60s was found unconscious inside the home, at the front door, by the first crews responding to the fire, according to the spokesman. The man was taken to a hospital.

The man had second-degree burns from the chest area and above, and also had burns to his airway, according to the spokesman.

There was significant damage to the home, and the exact amount is still to be determined, the spokesman stated.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the spokesman stated.

Contact the Wyandotte Daily at [email protected].