by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
It is frequently said “You live by the three-point shot and you die by it.”
Kansas City Kansas Community College lived it up to the fullest Wednesday night, draining 14 three-pointers in a pivotal 64-57 win over Labette.
The win vaulted the Blue Devils into the lead in Region VI play heading into a road game at Johnson County Saturday at 4 p.m. At 4-1, KCKCC holds a one-game lead over a trio of 3-2 teams, Johnson County, Highland and Fort Scott. Saturday’s game will wrap up the first round of Jayhawk and Region VI play.
“I don’t know where we’d have been without the threes,” KCKCC coach Kelley Newton said. “They were really important in getting us to the point we want to be. While the game got ugly a few times, it was a very good win for us. Very thankful. Now we control our own destiny.”
The Blue Devils actually shot better from three-point (45.2 percent) than overall (.367) against Labette but just as important was that they came when they counted most.
Holding the Cardinals to just 12 points the first 17 minutes, the Blue Devils led 29-17 at halftime. However, Labette surged back, cutting the deficit to 32-24 and it took a long range assault to hold off the Cardinals – five consecutive 3-pointers, three by Lane Hartley and two by Kellen Turner to rebuild the lead to 52-37 with 8:53 remaining.
Labette again responded, scoring nine straight points to cut the deficit to 52-46 and this time Turner drilled his seventh 3-pointer and added a layup for a 58-49 lead and the Blue Devils clinched the win on a Donald Metoyer layup on a pass from Jon Murray with 1:07 left after Labette had closed to 58-52.
The leading scorer in Division II of Region VI, Turner finished with 25 points including 7-of-15 three-pointers and five rebounds. Mike Lee led in assists and steals with five each along with 11 points while Hartley had nine points. In addition to Turner’s seven treys, Lee and Hartley had three each.
Although rebounded 42-34 (Murray and Metoyer led KCKCC with seven each), the Blue Devils limited the Cardinals to just 28 percent shooting the first half and 31.6 percent for the game. The Blue Devils also forced 17 Labette turnovers although guilty of 15 of their own.