The North Central Missouri College Pirates will go into next week’s NJCAA Division 2, Region 16 tournament with as much momentum as any team in the region, winning their eighth game in a row on Thursday night, pounding the visiting St. Louis Archers, 87-69 at a rocking Ketcham Community Center.
In front of the most energetic crowd of the season, the Pirates were able to pay back St. Louis for a lopsided loss suffered on the road in January. Demetrius Houston Jr. and Jalen Gant both finished with 18 points for the Pirates, with Major Finley adding 14, and Joshuah Goss 11 points. The win surges the Pirates overall record to 18-8, and leaves the Region 16 mark at 4-2. Region seedings for Thursday’s semifinals in Jefferson City will be set following St. Louis’ game at Penn Valley on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Pirates of North Central Missouri College had high hopes of securing a #1 seed heading into Thursday’s home tilt with St. Louis, but an 82-67 loss to the Archers will look NCMC, at 6-2 in Region 16 play, into the #2 seed for Thursday’s semifinal games in Jefferson City. North Central, with one game remaining in the regular season, sits at 20-8 overall, and hoping to get as healthy as possible by next week, as high-scoring freshman forward Sarah Lamp has been slowed by an injury to her MCL, suffered last Saturday in a loss to North Arkansas, undoubtedly playing a factor in the Kirksville native being held to just three points against StLCC.
Kendey Eaton led the Lady Pirates on Thursday night with 23 points while McKinley Hurley, in her final game at the Ketcham Center, adding 20. Kelly Warford had a strong game off the North Central bench with 11 points and 5 rebounds, while Jami Nickerson hit a pair of 3-point field goals, part of a 10 point night for the sophomore forward from Ottumwa, Iowa.
The North Central women and men play at North Arkansas College (Harrison, AR) on Saturday afternoon at 12 o’clock (women) and 2 o’clock (men) in their regular season finales.
The Lady Pirates semifinal opponent for the Region 16 semifinal round (Thursday) will be decided on Saturday afternoon. Penn Valley hosts St. Louis, with the Archers locked into the #1 seed for next week. The Scouts, at 3-4, currently own the #3 seed, and with an upset win, would lock in a date with North Central next week. A St. Louis win would tie Penn Valley with Cottey at 3-5, leaving the #3 seed up for a coin flip, as the teams split their regular season match-ups. The #4 seed will host Wentworth Military Academy in the region tournament’s first-round game early next week, with that winner advancing to meet St. Louis in the semifinals on Thursday.
Lincoln University in Jefferson City will host the Region 16 tournament, with Division Two semifinals on Thursday, and championship games on Saturday (March 2nd and 4th).
Photo credit – NCMCPirates.com / Trenton, MO
