Category: KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

It took a while for Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Lady Blue Devils to warm up from a lengthy, snowy trip to Hesston Wednesday but once in rhythm it was an avalanche of offense.

Held to just 14 points the first quarter, the Blue Devils exploded for 89 the final three quarters in a 103-57 win. The win snapped a three-game losing streak as the 15th ranked Blue Devils improved to 22-5 and 3-4 in the Jayhawk Conference with three games to go.

They’ll close out the home season with two games – Saturday against Fort Scott at 2 p.m. and next Wednesday against No. 7 Highland at 5:30 p.m. They’ll finish regular season play at No. 6 Johnson County Feb. 25.

The Blue Devils led only 16-13 early in the second quarter at Hesston before breaking the game open with a 14-2 run.

“A very slow start for us tonight and other than a good spurt in the second quarter, we really didn’t wake up until the fourth quarter,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “I’m not sure why we were so lethargic but I was pleased with how they finished.”

Sophomore Caroline Hoppock and freshman Jada Mayberry led the Blue Devils, both with career highs. Hoppock had 29 points including five 3-pointers while Mayberry had 19 with a trio of threes.

“Once Caroline hit a couple of shots, I felt her teammates did a good job of finding her open,” McKinstry said. Hoppock had 16 fourth quarter points on 7-of-10 shooting as the Blue Devils had nine assists on 15 field goals.

Aliyah Myers and Brodi Byrd were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points. Destiny Zamudio added nine points, a game high six assists and seven rebounds.

Mercer Roberts led the rebounding with a career high nine and scored six points as did Kamryn Estell. KCKCC controlled the rebounding 51-42 with Byrd contributing seven and Diamond Williams, Tiaira Ernest and Estell five apiece.

KCKCC led 16-13 early in the second quarter before the Blue Devils took charge with a 14-2 run over a span of three minutes. Myers started it with a 3-pointer and Byrd sandwiched a pair of layups around a rebound goal by Estell and Mayberry converted a 3-point play for a 30-15 lead.

Defensively, KCKCC forced 35 turnovers while committing 13 and limited the Larks to 23 field goals in 71 attempts for 32.4 percent.

“When we gave the defensive pressure that we’re capable of giving, we made things very difficult for Hesston to get their offense going and that led to a lot of easy opportunities for us,” McKinstry said.

Offensively, the Blue Devils had 21 assists on 38-of-90 shooting (.422). In addition to Zamudio’s six assists, Earnest had four and Adoreya Williams, Byrd and Estell three each.

The Jayhawk Conference has a new leader as the result of Wednesday’s other action. No. 5 Labette handed previously unbeaten Highland its second straight loss 75-62 at Highland to take undisputed possession of first place with a 6-1 record ahead of No. 6 Johnson County and No. 7 Highland (both 5-2) and KCKCC (3-4). Johnson defeated Fort Scott 86-34 in Wednesday’s other game to set up a pivotal showdown with Labette in Parsons Saturday.

Blue Devils can clinch share of first-ever title with home win Saturday

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s league-leading Blue Devils took a monstrous step towards winning their first Jayhawk Conference championship in history Wednesday.

An 80-60 win at Hesston coupled with Johnson County’s 72-63 loss at Fort Scott vaulted the Blue Devils to a two-game lead in the conference with three games to go and in position to wrap up no worse than a share of the title with a home win over Fort Scott Saturday (4 p.m.).

KCKCC is in first place at 6-1 followed by Fort Scott and JCCC, both 4-3; Highland and Labette, 3-4; and Hesston, 1-6.

In addition to KCKCC’s home game with Fort Scott Saturday, the Blue Devils play host to Highland next Wednesday and then finish at JCCC Feb. 25.

The Blue Devils (14-12) took no chances of giving up first at Hesston, bolting to a 25-7 lead in the first 8½ minutes in stretching their winning streak to seven in a row.

Sophomore Jalen Davis led a quartet of Blue Devils in double figures, knocking down 8-of-11 shots for a game high 24 points.

A trio of freshmen guards were the others in double figures, Deron McDaniel with 15 points and Ezekiel Lopes and DeAngelo Bell with 10 each. Robert Rhodes added eight points, Calvin Slaughter and Jermaine Yarbough six to round out the scoring.

Rhodes led the rebounding with 11 and Slaughter added seven although the Blue Devils were outrebounded 45-36 as Marcus Hill led the Larks with 22.

“A great road win for us,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “We were balanced all the way around and guarded hard and made it tough for them with our pressure and depth.”

The Blue Devils forced 21 Hesston turnovers while committing just nine.

The Blue Devils led 6-5 before taking command with a 19-2 run during a six-minute span of a first half in which they hit 20-of-32 shots for a sizzling 62.5 percent.

Davis ignited the decisive run with a pair of 3-pointers and McDaniel added two field goals, Slaughter two free throws, Bell and Rhodes a basket each and Yarbough a slam dunk on an assist from Rhodes to push the Blue Devils in front 25-7.

“Jalen (Davis) was great tonight,” Burgette said. “He played hard and made shots for us. And Deron (McDaniel) was great off the bench.”

KCKCC led 50-26 at halftime and Hesston never got closer than 14 points in the second half although out-scoring the Blue Devils 34-30.

“We faced some adversity and struggles in the second half in being out-scored,” Burgette said. “We have to be better guarding and putting two halves together.”

KCKCC shot just 32.1 percent the second half and 9.1 percent from 3-point.

In addition to KCKCC’s home game with Fort Scott Saturday, Johnson County plays at Labette and Hesston goes to Highland.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College forward Robert Rhodes is the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Player of the Week.

The Jayhawk Conference leader in rebounding, Rhodes was honored for his play in Blue Devil wins over nationally ranked Johnson County and Labette last week.

He had double-doubles in both games as he helped the Blue Devils vault into undisputed possession of the Jayhawk Conference lead.

His fourth double-double of the season – 15 points and 14 rebounds – came in an 82-65 win in a showdown with JCCC for first place in the conference Feb. 5 and he followed it up with 14 points and a career high 18 rebounds in an 81-77 win over Labette on Saturday.

He’s the first KCKCC men’s player to be named Player of the Week. The Lady Blue Devils’ Kamryn Estell earned the women’s honor earlier.

Rhodes leads the Jayhawk in both rebounds (9.0) and blocked shots (47), is third in field goal accuracy (57.4 percent) and seventh in steals (32). Averaging 9.5 points in conference play and 8.6 overall, he’s one of seven Blue Devils averaging seven or more points a game this season.

“Robert has the instinct to go get the ball wherever it is rebounding-wise,” KCKCC head coach Brandon Burgette said. “He does everything requested of him with an effort that goes above and beyond. He has a lot of energy and motor that never stops.”

Rhodes has posted double figures in rebounding 11 times and been in double figures scoring-wise 10 times. He also has 42 assists, an average of nearly two a game.

“He’s been playing great; really consistent every night,” Burgette said.

The Blue Devils will close out their home schedule with doubleheaders Saturday against Fort Scott (2 and 4 p.m.) and next Wednesday night against Highland (5:30 and 7:30 p.m.).