by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Link Year Prep is an Oklahoma-based academy that puts full emphasis on teaching promising young basketball players the intricacies of the game that will get them to the collegiate level.
But it was Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young basketball team that got schooled Friday night in opening round play of the Keith Lindsey Classic. Boasting both size and long range shooting skills, the Lions dealt the Blue Devils an 84-71 defeat.
The loss evened the Blue Devils’ record at 2-2 heading into a Saturday night clash with North Central Missouri.
Boasting two players who already are committed to NCAA Division I universities, Link Year Prep bolted to a 38-30 first half lead and led by as many as 22 points in the second half.
Angelo Allegri, a 6-7 forward from Kansas City, Mo., who has committed to North Carolina-Greensboro, had 20 points including 4-of-8 3-pointers while 6-8 UCLA signee Porter Anderson scored 16 on 8-of-11 shots. The Lions’ scoring leader, however, was 6-1 guard Mikey Wycoff of Lawrence with 22 points.
KCKCC, meanwhile, got big performances from its bench, which outscored the starters 54-17.
Dion Union led with 18 points, Sterling Hicks had 14 and Arother Ratliff 12 to lead the way while Solomon Thomas and Tyson Beringer added eight each. Beringer also led all rebounders with nine as the Blue Devils had a slight 37-35 edge on the boards.
The Blue Devils also shot well, 31-of-61 for 50.8 percent from the field.
However, they were also guilty of 23 turnovers and just 4-of-18 from three-point while Link Year Prep drained a dozen treys including 8-of-16 in the second half to thwart every Blue Devil rally.