by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College managed just three offensive rebounds Wednesday night but did not need them thanks to one of the best passing nights in history.
Getting 22 assists on 24 field goals, the Blue Devils took another step in earning a first round playoff bye with a workmanlike 78-66 win over Hesston.
The win ran the Blue Devils’ Region VI record to 6-1 and kept them two games in front of Fort Scott and Highland, both 4-3. However, since Hesston is not a member of the 5-team Jayhawk Conference, KCKCC (3-1) fell a half-game back of Fort Scott (4-1) in the conference race after Fort Scott’s 67-53 win over Labette Wednesday. In other action Wednesday, Highland won at Johnson County 68-58.
Because of the 22 assists, the Blue Devils had one of their best shooting nights of the season in the win over Hesston. Despite just 5-of-14 3-pointers, the Blue Devils were 14-of-29 for 48.3 percent in taking a 35-27 first half lead and then boosted it to 62.5 percent (10-of-16) in a 43-point second half.
KCKCC also got a strong defensive effort, limiting the Larks to three field goals in surging to a 19-6 first quarter lead and staying in front the rest of the way. Closest Hesston got in the second half was seven points but one of three Mike Lee 3-pointers reopened the lead to 10 and the Blue Devils maintained double digit leads the rest of the way.
Five Blue Devils scored nine or more points including a near triple double by Mike Lee; a double-double by Jon Murray; and a standpoint performance off the bench from freshman Daniel McKinnon, who had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Lee had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a near triple-double; Murray’s double-double came on 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kellen Turner chipped in with 10 points and five assists and Donald Metoyer nine points and six rebounds.
Working in tandem, Murray and Metoyer were instrumental in the early 19-6 lead and Kingcannon finished off the first half with seven points in a four-minute span for the 35-27 lead.
“A great team win; everyone contributed,” KCKCC coach Kelley Newton said. “We were able to get the ball inside to our big guys early which opened up the floor for everyone else. Daniel gave us a big lift – 14 points in 13 points. We’ll take that. And what can you say about 22 assists on 24 field goals. That’s phenomenal.”
The Blue Devils are now idle until a road game at Brown Mackie next Wednesday, a layoff that’s giving Newton and his coaching staff an early recruiting start. KCKCC returns home a week from Saturday against Highland in the next-to-last home game of the season. It will also be Sophomore Day.