The North Central Missouri College Pirates and St. Louis Community College Archers met in the “rubber match” of their three-game season series, hooking up in the Region 16 semifinals on Thursday night at Jason Gym, on the campus of Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
The week prior, the Pirates played one of the finest games of their season in hammering St. Louis at the Ketcham Community Center, only to come out flat two days later, in falling at North Arkansas in the regular season finale.
Unfortunately for NCMC, the cold shooting that hit the squad in Harrison stuck around in the “Capital City”, as St. Louis’ stingy defense held the Pirates to only 19 first-half points, and 50 total, in a 64-50 victory that moved the Archers into the Region 16 championship game against Penn Valley.
The game ends the Pirates season with 18 wins and 10 losses, and ends the North Central career of sophomores Major Finley, Lorenzo Chisholm, Brandon Burden, Teyontae Jenkins, and Demetrius Houston Jr. Jalen Gant finished his freshman season with a double-double, netting 13 points and grabbing 10 boards for North Central. Thursday night’s game was broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7.
By the time the weekend tournament was finished, five Pirates had received All-Region 16 honors. Finley, Gant, and Houston were named All-Region 16 first teamers, while freshman forward M.J. Johnson and Jenkins garnered Region 16 honorable mention status.
St. Louis’ defensive mindset remained on full display in Saturday afternoon’s Region 16 title game, as the Archers downed Penn Valley to win the region championship, 74-63. Sean Rigmaiden had 22 points and Courtney Barlow 13 for the Archers.
With a strong returning group of freshmen expected to be bolstered by a recruiting class that first-year Head Coach Jeremy Esry and assistant coach Eric Penrod continue to finalize, hopes are high for the potential of a 20-win season in 2017-2018 at North Central Missouri College.
