by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young Blue Devils dug themselves a hole from which they could not quite dig their way out Monday night.
Trailing by 22 points with just over 14 minutes remaining, the Blue Devils almost caught up – but not quite, losing a 70-69 thriller to Park University’s “Development Squad.”
“We’re a young team and it showed tonight,” KCKCC coach Kelley Newton said. “We got exactly what we needed. We’ve got to grow up. This can only make us better. But all the credit to Park. They really did a good job of putting us through the grind with their tight guarding.”
The Blue Devils now have three days to get ready for this weekend’s annual Keith Lindsey Classic when the Blue Devils play host to Link Year Prep Friday at 8 p.m. and North Central Missouri Saturday at 6 p.m. It’s also KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame weekend with Mike Hinkle and Greg Wells to be enshrined Friday between KCKCC’s women’s and men’s games (about 7:30 p.m.).
Shooting 54.8 percent from the field and forcing 11 Blue Devil turnovers, Park built first-half leads of up to 17 points and led at the half 41-27, then widened it to 52-30 and the deficit was still 22 points when 6-3 guard Sterling Hicks came off the bench to ignite the Blue Devils’ rally with three quick field goals including a pair of 3-pointers.
Solomon Thomas, who scored 12 points in the final 4:19, got the Blue Devils to 56-53 with 4:19 left but Park took advantage of an intentional foul and technical foul to rebuild its lead to 62-53 and then held on through the play of Vince Phillips. A 6-5 sophomore, Phillips had two baskets and four free throws in the final 3:45 including a clinching free throw with four seconds to go.
Hicks and Thomas shared scoring honors with Phillips, each with 19 points, but no other Blue Devil had more than three field goals. Defensively, Arother Ratliff had six rebounds and 6-9 Tyson Beringer five rebounds and five blocked shots.
Free throwing hurt the Blue Devils, who were just 6-of-15 from the line. However, they were 16-of-29 from the field in the second half (55.2 percent) including 4-of-7 3-pointers.