by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s unbeaten women’s basketball team heads into the annual Keith Lindsey Classic Friday and Saturday with Coach Joe McKinstry wondering which team will show up – the one that trailed Ottawa University junior varsity 40-37 at halftime Wednesday or the one that scored 51 second half points in an 88-63 win.
“Any win on the road is a good win but we’ve got to be able to play a complete game,” McKinstry said. “This is our second straight game in which we’ve only played one good half of basketball.”
KCKCC trailed by as many as five points late in the first quarter in a see-saw first half that had six ties and 11 lead changes.
In opening round play of the Keith Lindsey Classic Friday, KCKCC will clash with William Penn’s JV at 6 p.m. followed by the 2017 KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame inductions of Mike Hinkle and Greg Wells and a men’s clash between KCKCC and Link Year Prep.
On Saturday, the Lady Blue Devils will face longtime rival Penn Valley at 4 p.m. with the men facing North Central Missouri at 6 p.m.
The Lady Blue Devils got big productions from 5-9 Kisi Young, 6-0 Nija Collier and 5-5 Lizzie Stark at Ottawa. Both Young and Collier had double doubles, Young with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Collier 16 points and 10 rebounds while Stark kept the Blue Devils in contention early with a game high 21 points. Collier was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and Stark 9-of-13 including 3-of-4 from 3-point.
“Lizzie Stark did a great job of keeping us in the game when we were struggling in the first half,” McKenzie said. “Once our defense kicked in in the third quarter, we were able to use our size and athleticism to get some easy baskets. Kisi Young and Nija Collier really stepped up big in the second half with their scoring and rebounding.”
Caitlyn Stewart directed the offense with seven assists and added four steals; Alix Wilson had nine points on 3-of-4 three-pointers; and Lillie Moore had six points and five rebounds.
The Blue Devils only had a 48-42 edge in rebounding but outscored the Braves 50-30 in the paint and added another 28 points off 29 Ottawa turnovers. The Blue Devils were guilty of 23 turnovers themselves but shot well (49.4 percent) while holding Ottawa to just 8-of-37 second half shots (21.6 percent).
Play in the Keith Lindsey Classic will begin Friday at 2 p.m. with Penn Valley’s women facing Fort Scott followed by a 4 p.m. men’s game between Highland and North Central Missouri.
The KCKCC-William Penn women’s game at 6 p.m. and KCKCC-Link Year Prep contest at 8 p.m. will round out first day play.
On Saturday, Fort Scott and William Penn women will play at noon with a Highland-Link Year Prep men’s contest at 2 p.m. KCKCC and Penn Valley’s women will meet at 4 p.m. with the Blue Devil men facing North Central Missouri at 8 p.m.