by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College got its much anticipated revenge against Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Tuesday but nothing about it came easy.
The No. 6 ranked Lady Blue Devils had to withstand a record 17 3-point goals for a 98-86 win in a furiously fought offensive showdown. MCC ended KCKCC’s unbeaten season 79-74 earlier on the Penn Valley campus.
The win boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 13-2 heading into a home game with Des Moines Area Community College Friday at 6 p.m., the last game before the holiday break.
With three Blue Devils recording double-doubles, total domination of the rebounding was the difference in a game that had five ties and seven lead changes.
KCKCC pulled down 52 rebounds including 19 off the offensive boards to 22 total rebounds for the Lady Wolves. The domination resulted in 54 KCKCC points in the paint and 20 second chance points.
The double-doubles were turned in by Lillie Moore, 21 points and 13 rebounds; Kisi Young, 15 points and 12 rebounds; and Nija Collier, 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman Lenaejha Evans shared KCKCC scoring honors with Moore with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Camryn Swanson added nine points, Brodi Byrd six and Caroline Hoppock three, all on 3-point baskets.
The Blue Devils needed them all because 5-6 sophomore Octavia Lowery was scoring 34 points on 8-of-15 3-pointers while Kaylee Vantrump was 5-of-9 from distance in scoring 19. The 17 3-pointers are the most ever scored by a women’s team in the KCKCC Field House and one more than the all-time Blue Devil record of 16.
Trailing by as many as seven points early, KCKCC led 47-41 at halftime behind 58.1 percent shooting.
The Blue Devils expanded their lead to 14 points early in the third quarter only to have the Wolves pull within five points at 75-70 and it took some clutch KCKCC 3-point shooting to put the game out of reach. Swanson had two treys and Stewart and Hoppock one each in the final five minutes.
“Out-rebounding them 52-22 created a lot of fast break opportunities as well as being able to finish strong around the basket,” KCKCC assistant coach Timeka O’Neal said. The Blue Devils converted 37 of 67 shots for 55.2 percent along with 10-of-27 from 3-point (.370). The Wolves were 42 percent from the field, .472 from 3-point.
Despite 23 turnovers, the Blue Devils had 24 assists on 37 field goals. Stewart led with six; Young and Byrd added four each.
“We moved the ball which made their defense move,” O’Neil said. “We really prepared hard for this game and stressed the importance of playing a full 40 minutes. MCC is a team that is not going to give up and they didn’t.”