Tag: KCKCC men’s basketball

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Just a year ago on Feb. 25, the Kansas City Kansas Community College men’s basketball team set off on an eight-game winning streak culminated by Jayhawk Conference and Region VI championships.

This year after a 2-5 start, the Blue Devils will take a five-game winning streak into conference play after a 69-67 win over North Central Missouri Tuesday night.

The win not only lifted the Blue Devils’ record to 7-5 but avenged an earlier 118-115 double overtime loss to the No. 17 ranked Pirates in the season opener for both teams.

It also set up a Saturday afternoon clash with No. 6-ranked Johnson County in Overland Park. Women’s action begins at 2 p.m., the men at 4 p.m. with both games streamed on the JCCC athletic website.

Leading by as many as 12 points midway through the second half, the Blue Devils never trailed the final 20 minutes but it took a rash of key plays to hold off the Pirates.

Robert Rhodes grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Deron McDaniel for a huge 3-pointer and then made two vital free throws to maintain a 4-point lead;

Jermaine Yarbough swatted away a shot attempt in the final minute; and DeAngelo Bell converted two free throws with 23 seconds left for what proved to be the difference.

“The guys stepped up at the right moments; a great effort all the way around,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “We take pride in defending and we did that tonight. We have to clean up some things collectively to be better down the stretch and executing but over all our game plan was great – a great job in detail of doing what it takes to win. This gives us great momentum going into conference play.”

McDaniel led the way for KCKCC, knocking down four treys and scoring 16 points; grabbing seven rebounds and dealing out a game high six assists. Caleb Jones had yet another double with 12 points and 11 rebounds; Trey Bates scored 10 points, Shaylon Janloo 9, Yarbough 8 and Bell 6.

The Blue Devils led 69-60 with 7½ minutes left only to have the Pirates close to 62-60 and it took a McDaniel 3-pointer to slow the comeback with 2:52 remaining. Two free throws each by Rhodes and Bell put the Blue Devils in front 69-63 with 23 seconds left before nearly self-destructing.

A technical foul after a Pirate layup cut the KCKCC lead to 69-67 and two missed free throws opened the door for a last-ditch game-tying shot that missed as time ran out.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

With two ranked opponents dead ahead, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Blue Devils warmed up for one of their toughest weeks of the season with a 111-62 win over Graceland University junior varsity in Lamoni, Iowa, Saturday.

The Blue Devils will play host to No. 17 ranked North Central Missouri in a re-match of an earlier 118-115 double overtime shootout Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and then go to No. 6 Johnson County (5-1) Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Jayhawk Conference opener for both teams.

The No. 4 KCKCC women also play host to No. 13 North Central Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and both games will be streamed on the KCKCC Blue Devil website.

The win at Graceland was the fourth in a row for the Blue Devils and pushed them over the .500 mark at 6-5.

“A good win; the guys played hard,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “A good way to build momentum for our week ahead.”

Six Blue Devils scored in double figures and all 12 who played scored as KCKCC built a 50-28 halftime lead. Deron McDaniel led the scoring with 19 points followed by Cody Dortch and Robert Rhodes with 13 each, Caleb Jones 12 and Shayon Jonloo and Trey Bates 11 apiece.

Rhodes’ 13 points came on 6-of-6 shooting while Jones was 5-of-7 as the Blue Devils shot 48.4 percent from the field.

Bryce Johnson and Rhodes led rebounding with nine each while Don’vae Ferguson added seven and Jones six. Zach Nelson directed the offense with seven assists while Bates added four and Janloo and DeAngelo Bell three each.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

The depth of Kansas City Kansas Community College’s men’s basketball team was never more evident than in a down-to-the-wire 72-69 win at Metropolitan Community College Thursday night.

Reserves provided 43 of the Blue Devils’ 72 points and they needed every one of them as the Wolves had a game-tying 3-point shot bounce off the back of the rim as time ran out in another typical furiously fought battle between the two long-time rivals.

The win was the third in a row for the Blue Devils (5-5), clinched a sweep of their two-game series with Metro and a chance to get above the .500 mark in a just-added doubleheader with Graceland junior varsity Saturday in Lamoni, Iowa. The women will tip off at 2 p.m.; the men at 4 p.m.

“Our bench stepped up big for us,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. ”We’ve been off for seven days and it looked like it just getting back in a flow. Our guys played hard and stepped up in key moments. We had to back in our groove and set the tone for next week when the conference season opens.”

Metro might have grabbed control of the game in the first half had it not been for thee KCKCC bench, which scored 25 of the 30 points in trailing 35-30 at the half.

Taking advantage of numerous Blue Devil misses, the Wolves jumped off to a 10-2 lead in the first five minutes before Caleb Jones, Trey Bates and Shayon Janloo provided spark off the bench. Jones had 10 points, Bates 8 and Janloo 5 as the Blue Devils survived 33.3 percent shooting (11-of-33) from the field and .250 from 3-point (3-of-12).

The Blue Devils surged ahead to start the second half, getting a pair of field goals each from Zack Nelson, DeAngelo Bell, Bryce Johnson and Jones to open a 48-43 lead. It was 53-50 midway through the second half when two Jermaine Yarbough goals, one on a jarring dunk on a pass from Nelson, and a Nelson fast break layup opened a 60-50 lead.

It was 70-59 with 5:05 left only to have the Wolves close to 70-68 with 3:00 to go before Janloo provided what was to be the winner with a short range shot with 2:40 left and the Blue Devils held on through shoddy free throwing by both sides. The Wolves made one of four in the closing minutes, the Blue Devils clunked a pair that would have avoided Metro’s final last ditch try.

Jones led KCKCC with a double double, 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds; Janloo and Bel1 points added 11 points each; Yarbough 9, Bates 8, Johnson 6 and Nelson 5 along with five assists, several on outstanding deliveries.

The Blue Devils won the rebound battle 42-35 with Robert Rhodes adding eight and Bates eight. They also had 16 turnovers, nine in the second half, but were also 18-for-29 for a sizzling 62.1 percent in a see-saw battle that had two ties and 11 lead changes..

Metro, which had five players in double figures, got up 10 mores shots but made just 24-of 72 for 33.3 percent and 7-of-25 from 3-point (.280).

At home against North Central Missouri Tuesday, the Blue Devils open Jayhawk Conference play a week from Saturday at Johnson County.