Category: KCKCC

Lady Blue Devils set records with 112-47 win

Assist and turnover records set; multiple Blue Devils have career bests

Kansas City Kansas Community College went on the third biggest scoring spree in Blue Devils women’s basketball history Saturday, thanks to the most assists ever in racing to a 122-46 win over Fort Scott.

The win boosted the No. 5 ranked Blue Devils’ record to 13-1 and set up an opportunity to climb into a tie for the Jayhawk Conference lead when they play host to No. 3 Johnson County (13-0) Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. A scheduled men’s game with JCCC has been postponed because of the COVID pandemic.

Johnson County leads the Jayhawk with a 4-0 record followed by KCKCC, 3-1; Highland, 2-2; Fort Scott, 1-3; and Hesston, 0-4. Labette, the defending champion and No. 2 ranked team in NJCAA Division II, has yet to play a conference game. The Cardinals (9-0) are scheduled for their first conference game Wednesday at Hesston.

The Blue Devils had 39 assists on 51 field goals, bettering the old record of 36 set against Garden City way back in 1996 while the 122 points are the most since 124 posted against Hesston in 2019. The all-time record is 128 points scored against Brown Mackie in 2015.

A third record will go into the record book – 41 turnovers forced by the aggressive Blue Devil defense. There are no past records with 40 or more turnovers in a single game.

Fort Scott led by as many as three points early in a first quarter that had one tie and seven lead changes but the under-manned Greyhounds couldn’t stay close against the fast-breaking Blue Devils, who consistently won the race down floor for a flurry of layups. Leading 23-15 after one quarter, KCKCC outscored the Greyhounds 36-6 in the second period for a 59-21 halftime bulge.

Offensively, it was a game of career highs for multiple Blue Devils. Sophomore Tiaira Earnest and freshmen Faith Putz and Lacy Whitcomb all had career highs in scoring; sophomore Mercer Roberts in rebounds and assists; Aysia Arrowood in assists; and De’Jaria Guillory and Trinity McDow in steals.

“A lot of great performances individually but honestly I think that’s a reflection of how well we played as a team,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “It’s hard for me to imagine a scenario where we played better on both ends of the floor than we did today. Balanced scoring, tremendous assist numbers across the board and obviously our defense was great in forcing 41 turnovers.”

A freshman from Valley Center, Arrowood came off the bench to lead the assault on the assist record book with eight. Aliyah Myers and Mercer added seven each, Whitcomb six and De’Jaria Guillory four.

Earnest scored as many points in the first half (21) as Fort Scott posted as a team. Earnest had four 3-pointers in her 30-point night while Putz had two in scoring 23 on 10-of-16 shooting. Whitcomb also had four threes and was 6-for-11 in scoring 16 points. Aliyah Myers had 15 points, Roberts 10, Guillory 9, Hannah Valentine 7 and Aysia Arrowood and Trinity McDow 6 each as everyone scored.

Roberts had 11 rebounds and Valentine six although KCKCC lost the battle of the boards 44-38. Guillory and Earnest each had seven steals, McDow five and Myers four as the Blue Devils converted the 31 steals into 51 points.

The Blue Devils were 15-of-25 for 60 percent in the 36-point second quarter and 15-of-22 (.682) in posting 36 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 56 percent for the game. Fort Scott was limited to 17-of-57 shots for 29.8 percent.

Basler no-hitter highlights Blue Devils’ sweep of Ellsworth

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Highlighted by a no-hitter by Bradi Basler, Kansas City Kansas Community College swept a softball doubleheader from Ellsworth Friday in Creston, Iowa.

Basler’s hitless performance came in a 5-0 nightcap win after the Blue Devils had breezed to a 14-1 win in a 5-inning opener. The sweep boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 10-2 heading into a home doubleheader Monday with North Dakota State College of Science starting at 1 p.m.

A sophomore from Lansing, Basler struck out a career high 11 and walked four while facing just 25 hitters.

“She threw well, one of the better games she’s pitched in her career here,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said.

Freshman first baseman Hannah Maurer delivered the big blow in the 5-0 win, a bases-clearing double for a 3-0 lead in the third. Basler singled in KCKCC’s fourth run in the seventh and scored on Alexis Rymer’s triple. Basler also doubled and Savannah Maynard singled twice in the Blue Devils’ 9-hit attack.

Eight Blue Devils had two hits and seven drove in at least one run in an 18-hit assault in the 5-inning 14-1 opener. Freshman Breanna Droge got the pitching win, allowing three hits, striking out eight and walking five. The lone run came on a bases-loaded walk in the first but the Blue Devils went ahead with seven runs in the second.

Madison Pope and Rymer each drove in three runs, Rymer with a triple and single and Pope with a double and single. Maurer doubled twice, Maynard doubled and singled and Devin Purcell had two singles as each drove in a pair of runs while Jenna Daugherty, Alaina Howe and Basler each singled twice.

“Obviously we hit the ball well,” Ross said. “But I’d like to see our pitchers cut down on the walks.”

Epic comeback earns Bruno-Ballou her 200th volleyball win

Surrounded by players showing their elation, coach Mary Bruno-Ballou is presented the game ball by athletic director Tony Tompkins in recognition of her 200th coaching win at KCKCC – an epic come-from-behind 3-2 win over Metropolitan Thursday. (KCKCC photo)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Mary Bruno-Ballou got her 200th career volleyball win at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday with a performance she’ll long remember.

Trailing Metropolitan Community College 2-0, the Blue Devils stormed back to dominate the next three sets 25-17, 25-16, 15-11 and win No. 200 for the 10-year Blue Devil mentor. The win came on the heels of a 3-0 win over Cowley College earlier in the evening.

“It is fitting that my 200th win would come with this group of athletes – and being down 0-2 and finding a way to win in epic fashion,” Bruno-Ballou said. “I can’t say enough about this group of athletes. Their resilience and drive to win is unmatched. They are determined and hard working and can overcome any obstacle in their way.”

The Blue Devils had at least 13 kills in each of the first four sets against Metro, which won the first two sets 25-22, 26-24, Cassidy Crist had 26 kills, Michelle Dvorak 19, Trinity Holland 9 and Nicole Hughes 7 while the national NJCAA DII leader in assists, Adriana Velez, had a career high 60.

Five Blue Devils had 10 or more digs – Kelcey Hund 22, Mia Tomasic 20, Velez 18, Crist 15 and Jo-Annie Perez 10.

The Blue Devils made short work of Cowley in the opening match of the triangular, completing a season sweep of the Tigers 25-19, 25-15 and 25-16.

“Played fantastic and never let them get started,” Bruno-Ballou said. “Great execution of the game plan.” Crist had 14 kills and Dvorak 12; Velez recorded 35 of the Blue Devils’ 38 assists; and Hund and Velez each had nine digs, Crist eight and Perez seven.

The two wins stretched the Blue Devils’ winning streak to four in a row heading into a stretch of three road matches in just six days – at Hesston Saturday at 11 a.m., at Labette Monday and at Fort Scott Thursday, both at 6:30 p.m.

The win over Cowley pulled KCKCC (11-7) into a fourth place tie with Fort Scott for fourth in the Jayhawk Conference at 9-6.

The 200 wins are the most recorded by any Blue Devil volleyball coach.

“So incredibly humbled to have reached this honor in my career at KCKCC,” Bruno-Ballou said. “They gave me the opportunity at age 24 to be head coach and I am eternally grateful for their continued faith in me for the last 10 seasons. Our support staff is the best in the business and I’m so thankful for all of my assistant coaches throughout the years in more ways than can be counted.

“But in the end this number isn’t about me. It’s about all the athletes who have made KCKCC volleyball their home over the past 10 years. Their sacrifice, hard work and dedication has helped to create a winning culture and made KCKCC volleyball a Top 20 program.”