The North Central Missouri College men, bolstered by a series of late-game defensive stops, and a high-flying two-handed dunk by Jordan Reece within the final minute of regulation, won at Penn Valley Community College on Saturday, 98-92. The win is the second in as many years at the A. Fred Pohlman Fieldhouse for NCMC Coach Jeremy Esry, evening North Central’s Region 16 record at 2-2.
Jalen Gant led the Pirates with 26 points (24 in the second half), while Ryan Ward had 17, Jordan Reece 14, and M.J. Johnson and Yacento Scott, Jr. 12 points each for NCMC. Penn Valley had 19 points from Roy Meekie, 16 from Thomas Bell, 15 points from Malik Barnett, and 14 from B.J. Saunders.
The opener on Saturday saw the Region 16 struggles continue for the Lady Pirates, who lost a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter, with Penn Valley tying the game at halftime, and, behind the superb individual play of Octavia Lowery, overwhelming North Central in an 87-72 victory.
The loss drops the Lady Pirates to 18-8 overall, but just 1-4 in Region 16 play, putting NCMC in jeopardy of a #4 postseason seed, and a potential match-up with St. Louis in the semifinals in Jefferson City. Kaylee VanTrump had 18 points for Penn Valley and Kassidy Snowden 15, but Lowery was unstoppable, scoring 30 of her game-high 35 points over the middle two quarters, as Penn Valley scored a total of 31 points in the third quarter to put the Lady Pirates in the “trail position” for the final ten minutes.
Sophomore guard Kendey Eaton, on a three-point play early in the second quarter, went over the 1,000 career point mark for the Lady Pirates, finishing Saturday with 24 points (1,013 for the career) to lead NCMC. Sarah Lamp added 15 and Whitley Richman 11 for Jenni Croy’s squad.
The Lady Pirates play for the #3 seed (and a playoff rematch with Penn Valley) on Wednesday night at 6 o’clock in Nevada, Missouri, as North Central aims to avenge a two-point loss to Cottey from February 5th. The game with the Lady Pirates and Comets will be broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7, with audio stream on KTTN from the Tune-In Radio app, in addition to KTTNSports.com.
