Category: KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

It’s “Meet and Greet” time for Coach Joe McKinstry and his 2019-2020 women’s basketball team at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Just four veterans – only two of whom played the full season – return from McKinstry’s second NJCAA Division II National Championship team of 2018-2019.

Thus McKinstry and assistant Timeka O’Neal are using pre-season conditioning workouts to get to learn the abilities and personalities of his incoming recruiting corps of eight freshmen and one sophomore.

“All of them bring various qualities but all are also very inexperienced,” McKinstry said. “You just don’t replace nine players who won 32 games and a national championship overnight. I do think what our offense may lack, the defense will make up for it by getting us some easy baskets.”

A pair of prolific 3-point shooters, Brodi Byrd and Caroline Hoppock, return to lead the youthful Blue Devils.

A 5-6 guard from Truman, Byrd became a full-time starter midway through the season, averaging 8.9 points and 3.0 rebunds in 22 starts. She had 76 2-point goals, the fourth most in a single season and ninth career-wise.

A versatile 5-11 combo guard-forward from Olathe East, Hoppock tied the KCKCC record for 3-pointers in a single game, netting eight on 8-of-11 attempts. Playing multiple positions, Hoppock averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

“Byrd was obviously a big part of our success down the stretch run and we are looking for her to build on that by creating more opportunities for herself off the dribble,” McKinstry said. “Hoppock is a very strong and agile athlete with a phenomenal shooting stroke who because of her versatility, will have a big impact playing inside.”

Also returning are 5-8 Carson Chandler of Sarcoxie, Missouri; and 5-4 redshirt freshman Diamond Williams of Detroit, both of whom are recovering from knee injuries. Chandler joined the Blue Devils the second semester but injured her knee in early season conditioning.

“Carson had a fantastic spring and summer,” McKinstry said. “We need to get her back to being healthy; she has a knack for scoring. Diamond Williams is still not 100 percent from the knee injury that kept her out all last season but is the toughest defender I’ve seen. Just having her on the floor is an asset because her energy and effort is contagious.”

The fifth sophomore is 5-5 point guard Destiny Zamudio of Chicago, who transferred from Malcolm X in Chicago.

“Very talented but she’s not played enough meaningful basketball the last two years and needs to get in competitive shape to fulfill our expectations,” McKinstry said.

McKinstry’s biggest concern is finding the rebounding to replace three of the best rebounders in KCKCC history in Nija Collier, Kisi Young and Lillie Moore.

The freshmen candidates are 6-1 Kamryn Estell of Belton, 5-10 Anija Frazier of Lee’s Summit North, 5-9 Alieyya Jones of Lincoln, Nebraska; and 5-11 Mercer Roberts of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“Extremely quick with very good mobility, Estell will do a lot of damage around the basket and can shoot the three while Jones is very athletic with a high motor; someone we look to impact the game in many ways,” McKinstry said. “Roberts is long and athletic and will rebound with bigger players but can also step out and knock down perimeter shots. Frazier is a strong guard who will create mismatch opportunities for us. She has the potential to be a very good defender.”

There’s a wealth of talent in the backcourt – 5-7 Aliyah Myers of Derby, 5-6 Jada Mayberry of Kapaun Mt. Carmel, and 5-6 Tiaira Earnest and 5-5 Adoreya Williams, who were teammates at Mumford High School in Detroit.

“Williams is a terrific ball handler with good speed; Earnest is extremely fast and very active on both ends of the floor,” McKinstry said. ”Mayberry is an extremely tough and physical guard who can impact the game on both ends. Myers comes from a very highly respected program at Derby and brings a lot of experience and winning and playing in meaningful games.”

A two-time NJCAA national coach of the year, McKinstry is in his fifth season as KCKCC head coach. He’s assisted for the third season by O’Neal, a former University of Kansas and Johnson County Community College standout.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Coffeyville negated a valiant Kansas City Kansas Community College comeback with two goals in the final 7½ minutes in a home 5-3 women’s soccer win Wednesday.

The loss snapped a 5-game KCKCC winning streak and dropped the Lady Blue Devils (4-2) into third place in the Jayhawk Conference behind Cowley College (5-1) and Butler County (4-1-1).

The Lady Blue Devils (7-2) will begin second round conference play at Butler Saturday at 7 p.m. against the team that handed them their only other loss 3-2 in overtime.

“A difficult trip against a good team but we need to find a way to win games when we score three goals or more,” KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake said.

Most frustrating, the goals came in bunches – three in five minutes of the first half and two in the final 7½ minutes.

KCKCC took a 1-0 lead just seven minutes into the game when sophomore Kayla Deaver scored the first of two goals on a pass from freshman Melissa Siegel.

The lead held up until the final 5:12 of the half when the Red Ravens got a goal from Ashley Talley and two from Louise Atkinson.

The Blue Devils pulled even with two goals in a span of just over a minute midway through the second half.

Freshman Connie Hughes got the first goal off a corner kick by Siegel and sophomore Sydney Guerra and Hughes set Deaver up for her second goal with 22:09 left in the half.

The comeback fell short when Atkinson completed a ‘hat trick.’

Breaking loose from midfield, the freshman forward from Middlesborough, England, drilled a shot from 22 yards out with 7:29 left in the game and Talley added her second goal on a free kick with 29 seconds remaining.

“I expected us to come back in the second half,” Uhlenhake said. “This is a confident team that can score goals. But we struggled defensively as a team. We cannot give up five goals and ever expect to win.”