Playing the #11 ranked Southwestern Spartans for the second time in six nights, the North Central Missouri College Pirates knew that tightening up their defense and getting off to a better start would be key to getting a win on Tuesday night at the Ketcham Community Center.
In comparison to the game at Creston, the Pirates defense was better, holding Southwestern to 97 points (instead of the 112 on November 9th), but the North Central offense scuffled, particularly in the first half, in a 97-85 loss that pushes the Spartans to 4-0, and drops the Pirates to 3-2.
NCMC trailed 48-32 at the half, but played much better in the final 20 minutes, making a series of surges at Southwestern repeatedly thwarted by the Spartans three-point shooting wizardry, as Keshawn Wilson scored 29 points to lead SWICC, including six three-point field goals. Terence Shelby added a pair of second-half three’s to slow the Pirates home-court momentum, with Jamil Maddred and Jordan Johnson contributing three-point shots down the stretch.
Along with Wilson, Spartans in double figures were Brodric Thomas with 18 points, with Maddred, Johnson, and Khallid Edwards all scoring 10. The Pirates outscored the Spartans 53-49 in the second half, and were led by freshman forward Dee Scruggs, with a 15 point outing. Demetrius Houston Jr. had 14, Jalen Gant and M.J. Johnson 12 each, and Major Finley and Teyontae Jenkins 11 each for the Pirates.
North Central has the weekend off, and will next be in action on Monday night, hosting the Central Methodist JV at 7:30 at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton.
