by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s short-handed men’s basketball team will open Region VI playoff action on the road at Fort Scott Wednesday, Feb. 28.
That was assured Wednesday when the Blue Devils dropped a 69-51 decision at Highland. The loss left KCKCC 1-8 in Region VI Division II play heading into the season finale at Labette Saturday at 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, Highland (7-2) wrapped up the No. 2 seed behind Johnson County (9-0) and earned a first round bye along with the Cavaliers, who just held off Fort Scott 64-59 Wednesday.
Despite being second, Highland is the winningest team in the Jayhawk Division II at 22-7. The other first round game Feb. 28 will send Hesston (2-7) to Labette (3-6) in a re-match of Wednesday play in which Labette took an 86-64 win.
Highland scored the game’s first six points and never trailed in building a 24-9 lead Wednesday only to have the Blue Devils stage a furious rally.
Fueled by 3-pointers by Juvan Davenport, Joshia Laws and Malcolm Tate, the Blue Devils scored 13 straight points to chop the Scotties’ lead to 24-22 with 1:52 left in the half.
Ryan Haskins’ fifth 3-pointer in five attempts in the first half finally ended the KCKCC rally.
Leading 32-25 at the half, Highland got another trey from Haskins to start the second half for a 10-point lead and the Scotties maintained a double digit lead the rest of the way. Haskins finished 7-of-8 from 3-point to lead Highland with 21 points and six assists.
KCKCC’s Juvan Davenport led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field including a sizzling 6-of-8 3-pointers while Tyson Beringer added eight points and DuVonte Beard and Josiah Laws seven each.
Laws also led all rebounders with 11. Beard and Davenport added six rebounds each while Laws and Davenport led in assists with three.
Highland shot 44.3 percent including 41.7 from 3-point (10-of-24), won the rebounding battle 39-30 and had just 12 turnovers to KCKCC’s 17. The Blue Devils were 19-of-56 from the field (.339) and 9-of-29 from 3-point (.310).