The North Central Missouri College Pirates used a mid-second half surge, and survival of a late-game charge from Johnson County Community College, in a 70-69 victory at Cavalier Fieldhouse in Overland Park, Kansas on Tuesday night, broadcast on KGOZ-TV.
The game was tied at 31 at the half, but the Pirates, on the strength of a strong transition game and timely three-pointers by Ryan Ward, took as much as an 11 point lead midway through the second half. The Cavaliers, as so often is the case , made a late game surge on their home court, and nearly pulled off a comeback, only to have an open jumper at the horn fall off the rim. Tom Johnson provided the play-by-play call:
Demetrius Houston, Jr. led NCMC with 14 points, with Major Finley adding 11 and Jalen Gant 10 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman Ryan Ward, a member of the Class 2 state champion Hartville Eagles last season, came off the bench to score 11 points, including a trio of three-point shots to send the Pirates to the second half lead. Finley matched Ward with three made three-point shots, however Finley’s damage all came in the first half.
The victory is the first at North Central Missouri College for Head Coach Jeremy Esry, who had to sweat out the final 10 seconds to get the win:
Unlike the Lady Pirates, who play two games this weekend in Overland Park, the Pirate men are off for the next six days:
For the Cavaliers, ranked #15 (NJCAA Division Two) to start the season, starting point guard Anthony Lupardus had 19 points with forward Patrick Cairns scoring 16.
