by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
For the last six seasons, winning the Jayhawk Conference has been a ticket to a berth in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division II national women’s tournament.
Otherwise, it’s a steady diet of playing nationally ranked teams as Kansas City Kansas Community College’s defending national champions dropped a hard-fought 71-60 decision to Johnson County Wednesday night.
It was the fourth loss in 25 games for the No. 10 ranked Lady Blue Devils and all have been to teams ranked in the Top 10 nationally – No. 2 Kirkwood, No. 3 Highland, No. 7 Labette and now No. 8 JCCC.
“Obviously our four losses have been to really, really good teams but it’s so frustrating when you’re beating yourself as much as the other team is beating you,” said KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry, whose Blue Devils play host to Labette (17-4) Saturday at 2 p.m..
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, the Blue Devils rallied to tie the game at 45-45 with two minutes left in the third quarter and were just four back (59-55) with four minutes left before the Cavaliers pulled away.
Rebounding proved to be a big factor despite a valiant effort by 6-1 freshman Kamryn Estell, the lone Blue Devil in the starting lineup standing over 5-foot-6. Estell led all scorers and rebounders with a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. Aliyah Myers added 11 points and Tiaira Earnest 10 but no other Blue Devil had more than one field goal.
The Cavaliers’ 42-34 advantage in rebounds included 14 off the offensive boards.
“We forced them into 24 turnovers and held them to 2-of-10 3-pointers the first half but all that was negated by their offensive rebounds,” McKinstry said. “For the third time in three conference losses, we battled, played hard and competed but there’s a lot of things within our control where we’re coming up short. Sometimes its execution or boxing out on rebounds or stepping up and making shots.”
KCKCC trailed 28-13 early in the second quarter before Estell, Myers and Earnest combined to score the last 17 points of the half for the Blue Devils. Estell had 10 points, Myers 7 and Earnest 6 and each had a three as KCKCC closed to 37-36 only to give up three free throws in the final second and trail 40-36 at the half.
“We should have been down by one at the half but we did that to ourselves,” McKinstry said. “It’s a situation we have to do better and learn from it.”
Still, the Blue Devils pulled even 45-45 only to have the Cavaliers counter with three layups in a span of a minute for a 51-45 lead. Closest KCKCC could get in the fourth quarter was 59-55 on an Earnest 3-pointer with 3:47 left but JCCC’s Krystal Rice’s 3-pointer and layup and Dallie Hoskinson’s trey opened the lead to 67-57 with two minutes left.
KCKCC had just six turnovers the first half but finished with 17 and was just 17-of-54 shots for 31.5 percent from the field and .308 from the perimeter.
“We have to be aware and ready to make shots, get in the gym and get the confidence to knock down shots,” McKinstry said.
