by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College couldn’t make a halftime lead hold up Saturday as the Blue Devils dropped a season-opening 74-61 decision to Southwestern Iowa in Creston.
The Blue Devils are right back in action tonight against Saint Mary junior varsity in Leavenworth at 7 p.m. before returning home for the annual Keith Lindsey Classic this weekend. The Blue Devils will play Link Year Prep Friday at 8 p.m. and North Central Missouri Saturday at 6 p.m.
Down 13-2 in the opening minutes, KCKCC surged from behind to forge a 17-17 tie and went ahead 33-31 at halftime but couldn’t sustain the lead against the hot-shooting Spartans, who were 26-of-51 from the field for 51 percent. Southwestern also had a 33-26 edge in rebounding and had two less turnovers (17-15).
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils actually shot slightly better from 3-point, netting 9-of-22 for 40.9 percent. Overall, they were 23-of 59 for 38.9 percent.
Taylor Turner, a 6-1 freshman guard from Albuquerque, New Mexico, led KCKCC with 14 points, 12 of which came on four 3-pointers, while another freshman, Calvin Slaughter of Macon, Georgia, had 12 including a pair of treys. sophomore DuVonte’ Beard added 8 points, freshmen Daylon Taylor 7 and Jalen Davis 5 and sophomore Malcom Tate and freshman Kelyn Bolton 4 each.
Beard led KCKCC in rebounding with eight while Slaughter and Tyson Beringer added five each. Beringer also led in assists with three.
Southwestern had four players in double figures. D’Marqueyon Whittington had 16 points including four 3-pointers while Chad Moran added 14 and Brandon Reed and Gatdoar Kueth 10 each.