by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
For the first 18 minutes Friday night, Park University’s developmental team stayed side-by-side with Kansas City Kansas Community College’s heavily favored women.
It was 38-38 in a game that was tied 10 times and had four lead changes before the Lady Blue Devils scored the final five points on the half for a 43-38 lead and then blew the game open with a 51-point second half in a 94-68 win.
It was the Blue Devils’ seventh win in eight games but with no time to rest – a road game at Penn Valley Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Blue Devils were led by a front line trio of Lillie Moore, Nija Collier and Kisi Young who combined for 50 points and 28 rebounds. Moore came off the bench to lead with 23 points and 12 rebounds; Young had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Collier 15 points and 6 rebounds. Moore missed just three shots in her big production, hitting 8-of-10 field goal attempts and converting 7-of-8 free throws.
“It’s pretty clear, to me anyway, that we need to play through our forwards,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “Their production seems to shift from game to game as far as which ones will give us the numbers. Typically, however, we get pretty good volume from at least two of them. When they figure out how to play and we figure out how to get them involved consistently I think this team has a very high ceiling.”
Tee Martin led the guard production with 10 points; Piper’s Miya Ford and Alix Wilson added eight points each; and forward Lizzie Stark contributed six points and five rebounds to the front line.
KCKCC had 26 assists on 34 field goals with 10 different Blue Devils with at least two each but they were also guilty of 28 turnovers, three more than Park.
“Another slow start but I’m pleased with our effort in the second half,” McKinstry said. “We’ve got to cut down the turnovers and get a better defensive effort for four quarters. But I like our ability to score the basketball and how hard our girls compete. We just have to clean things up a bit.”