Tag: KCKCC men’s basketball

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Snake-bitten the early part of the 2021 basketball season, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Blue Devils turned to being the viper Thursday night.

After suffering four losses that came down to the final seconds, the Blue Devils edged No. 13 ranked Southeast Community College in a down-to-the-wire overtime 79-75 thriller in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The win avenged an 89-82 loss to the Storm just eight days ago and elevated KCKCC season’s record to 4-5 heading into a road game at Park University junior varsity Monday at 7 p.m. and a return doubleheader with Metropolitan Community College on the Penn Valley campus Thursday, Feb. 18.

Trailing Southeast 75-73 with 1:25, DeAngelo Bell’s layup pulled KCKCC even and set up the biggest play of the game. Grabbing his fifth defensive rebound of the game, freshman Trey Bates went end-to-end to lay in a layup at the rim with 1:04 remaining and followed 25 seconds later with two free throws to ice it.

Bates was joined in the limelight by a host of other Blue Devils. Bell made two free throws and a 3-pointer to give KCKCC a 65-64 lead with 1:48 left; Deron McDaniel made two free throws with 41 seconds left to force overtime; Robert Rhodes had two free throws and Jermaine Yarbough a rebound goal to give KCKCC a 73-71 lead in overtime.

Leading by as many as 15 points early, the Blue Devils still had a 50-37 advantage when the Storm surged back with a 15-4 run to close to 54-52. A layup and 3-pointer by Bryce Johnson sandwiched around a Bates layup rebuilt the lead to 60-54 only to have the Storm go ahead for the first time 61-60 and set up furious race to the finish.

“A great job by our guys,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “Winning is hard; winning is tough. We have been in many games just like this tonight where we’ve had to learn and grow. Proud of how our guys stayed together and didn’t fold. We went on stretches where we struggled and didn’t score and they made a great run at us. But certain guys stepped up at the right time when needed. Now we have to continue the streak.”

Blue Devil defensive rebounding played a huge role in the win. Facing four front-liners ranging in height from 6-8 to 6-11, KCKCC had been outscored 60-38 in the paint in the first meeting. But with Rhodes (12 rebounds), Yarbough (10) and McDaniel (9) leading the way, the Blue Devils had a whopping 34-11 superiority on the defensive boards.

McDaniel led the Blue Devils, knocking down five 3-pointers in a 21-point effort that also included a career-high nine rebounds and four assists. Bates had 14 points, three steals and three assists; Bell 11 points and three assists; and Yarbough just missed a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Field goal shooting, however, left much to be desired. The Blue Devils shot a season low 33.8 percent from the field (27-80) and 8-for-28 from 3-point (.286), missing numerous opportunities to break the game open when the led 39-27 at halftime. Fortunately, the Storm was no better against a harassing Blue Devil defense, converting only 4-of-24 3-pointers (.169) and shooting .375 for the game.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kansas City Kansas Community College got some clutch field goals they’d been desperately missing in ending a three-game losing streak Tuesday night.

Getting 17 straight points from the duo of DeAngelo Bell and Bryce Johnson in the second half, the Blue Devils (3-5) held off repeated Metropolitan Community College challenges for a hard-earned 90-83 win.

The Blue Devils led by 10 points early in the second half only to have the Wolves close to 68-65 midway through the second period when Johnson started the decisive run with a dunk. Bell followed with three 3-pointers in a span of less than two minutes for a 79-65 lead and Johnson and Bell made it 85-75, closing a 17-10 run with a pair of treys with four minutes left. But even then Metro twice closed to within four points and it took four Deron McDaniel free throws in the final two minutes to clinch it.

“The guys stepped up and made shots but we have to do a better job of holding a lead,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “We gave up two 10-point leads.”

Five Blue Devils finished in double figures led by sophomore Caleb Jones, who had yet another double double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. McDaniel added 16 points, Bell 15, Trey Bates 12 and Jermaine Yarbough.10. The Blue Devils also got a key performance from freshman Zack Nelson, who had game highs of eight assists and four steals.

Bell’s 15 points came on 5-of-6 3-pointers while Yarbough had three dunks and a layup in a 2½- minute span in the first half. Yarbough’s four goals and five points by Nelson highlighted a surge that pushed KCKCC to a 29-20 lead only to have Metro go ahead 30-29 in a furious first half that had six ties and nine lead changes.

The Blue Devils had a season low seven turnovers while forcing 16 by Metro that KCKCC turned into 23 points.

“We did a good playing in transition,” Burgette said. “Metro played well and shot the ball well (47.1 percent). We just have to do a better job of rebounding and securing the glass.”

Metro won the battle of the boards 43-36 with 19 of the rebounds coming offensively. The Blue Devils were a terrific 13-of-26 from 3-point and 14-of-26 (.538) in holding off Metro in the second half.

The Blue Devils now go back on the road for their next three games starting at Southeast Nebraska Thursday at 7 p.m. They’ll also be at Park University’s junior varsity Monday at 7 p.m. and they have a re-match with Metropolitan on the Penn Valley campus Feb. 18.

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by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

John Wood lived up to its No. 9 national ranking Friday, holding off a late Kansas City Kansas Community College comeback for a 77-66 win in Quincy, Illinois.

The loss dropped the Blue Devils to 2-5 heading into a home doubleheader Tuesday with Metropolitan Community College. The women’s game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.; the men at 7:30 p.m. Open to spectators, the games will be streamed on the KCKCC Blue Devil website.

The Blue Devils battled John Wood on even terms most of a first half that had three ties and seven lead changes before the Trail Blazers opened a 36-30 halftime lead and then expanded it to 14 points three minutes into the second half, KCKCC rebounded with a 12-2 run to close to within four points only to have John Wood score six straight and stay safely in front.

“We played well, just didn’t execute down the stretch,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “We cut the lead to six but missed a dunk and couldn’t get over the hump after that.”

Freshman Shayon Jonloo had a career-high 21 points including 5-of-9 3-pointers and Caleb Jones had another double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way.

Cold shooting plagued the Blue Devils, who were just 26-of-70 for 37.1 percent from the field and 7-of-25 from 3-point (.280). The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, shot 44.9 percent from the field. Rebounds were even while KCKCC had 19 turnovers, John Wood 14.