by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College literally came within inches of a huge comeback in a heartbreaking 63-61 loss to Southwestern Iowa Wednesday night.
Trailing by 14 points entering the final quarter, the Blue Devils were still down 63-54 with less than three minutes to go when they ran off seven straight points and put themselves in position to win or force an overtime. Gaining possession on a missed free throw with 3.9 seconds left, the Blue Devils got the ball to Kayla Horn for a baseline jump shot that came up inches short as time expired.
The win was the eighth in a row for Southwestern (9-4) while the Blue Devils fell to 9-5 heading into opening Jayhawk Conference action at Hesston Saturday. The Lady Blue Devils are also home against Missouri Valley’s JV Monday at 6 p.m., one of three home contests next week.
KCKCC’s loss Wednesday came without two starters – leading scorer Brie Tauai and Millie Shade, both of whom are injured and are day to day.
The Lady Blue Devils got a near record performance in the loss. Sophomore Brooklyn Wagler hauled in 21 rebounds, the third most in KCKCC history and just two off the record held by Kesia Houston. In addition, Wagler shared Blue Devils highs with 14 points and five assists.
Aeriel Holiday also had 14 points including four three-pointers while Alix Wilson and Ky’Ana French each had three treys in 11-point performances. Horn shared assist honors with Wagler with five and was second in rebounding with seven.
A French three-pointer started KCKCC’s fourth comeback after Southwestern had opened a 60-51 lead with 4:12 left. The Lady Spartans’ Falllyn Beemer matched that with her fifth three-pointer of the game but the Spartans did not score again as baskets by Wagler and Horn and a trey by Holiday with 42.3 seconds left closed the final gap to 63-61.
The Blue Devils scored the game’s first 11 points and led 18-6 only to have the Spartans score 20 straight points over an 8-minute KCKCC drought for a 26-18 lead. KCKCC regained the halftime lead 33-32 only to be outscored 22-7 in a decisive third quarter.
“Very proud of our effort to get back in the game and ultimately give ourselves a chance to tie or win at the buzzer,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “Not having Brie and Millie certainly didn’t help but we can’t worry about who we are missing with injuries. We have capable players and they have to make plays when called upon to help us win games.”
KCKCC will take a No. 9 ranking into Jayhawk play next week.
“We’ll continue to work hard and get better but we have to begin to take pride in what this program has become,” he said. “It’s been a successful program with high expectations in the past and we’ve got own up to that expectation. I’m proud of who we are and I expect our players to be proud as well. That has to be first on the agenda moving forward because our opponents are very aware of our history here and they’re hungry to play us.”