The North Central Missouri College men, up by just one point (29-28) at halftime of Saturday’s Region 16 opener against St. Louis Community College, played one of their strongest 20 minute stretches of the season in the second half, pulling away for a 71-56 victory against the rival Archers at the Ketcham Community Center.
Ryan Ward, mired in a shooting slump coming out of the Christmas Break, got back on track with a 17 point afternoon, leading the Pirate charges. Jalen Gant had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordan Reece and Jake Salisbury both contributed 11 in the victory.
The Pirates defense turned the tables on a St. Louis team that used strong defense to end North Central’s 2016-2017 season last March, holding the Archers to just 56. NCMC, now 10-5 overall and 1-0 in Region 16 play, return to the floor on Tuesday night, traveling to Iowa Falls, Iowa for a meeting with the Ellsworth Community College Panthers. Tip time is slated for 7:30.
The Lady Pirates, in Saturday’s opener, ran into a St. Louis squad ranked #6 in the country, with the Archers backing up their lofty standing, beating North Central 89-65. Trailing by double digits for much of the second half, the NCMC defense struggled to slow down the Archers enough to make a significant dent into the deficit, while the normally hot-shooting Pirate offense had an uncharacteristic cold afternoon.
Sarah Lamp led the Lady Pirates with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Maddie Book had one of the strongest offensive games of her first season in college, scoring 13. Kendey Eaton and Madison Gonseth both scored nine points.
The win pushes STLCC to 14-3 overall and 1-0 in Region 16 play, while the Lady Pirates, ranked #13 in the country, drop to 13-4 overall and 0-1 in region play. Jenni Croy’s team will host the Missouri Valley JV on Thursday night at 5:30 inside the Ketcham Community Center.
