Lady Pirates, following 4-0 start, move to #5 in the country

The North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates swept competition from strong Iowa junior colleges over the weekend, improving to 4-0 in action from the NCMC Classic at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton. 

On Friday night, NCMC defeated Des Moines Area Community College, 83-72, with freshman guard Jessica Reeter scoring a game-high 26 points, including 12 of 16 accuracy from the free throw line.  Starting center Mary Copeland scored 14, with freshman guard Gladys Brown scoring 21 points in her best game as a Lady Pirate to date.  

The game with DMACC was a roller coaster, with North Central down by eight points (23-15) after the first quarter, but rallying for a 38-31 halftime lead.  By the end of the third quarter, the Lady Bears took a 57-52 lead, but the Lady Pirates had the finishing kick, outscoring the visitors 29-15 in a furious fourth quarter rally. 

Reanna Hutchison had 23 points, with Jaden Ainley and Eviyon Richardson each tallying 15 for DMACC.

In a lower scoring battle on Saturday afternoon, the Lady Pirates defeated Iowa Western Community College by a score of 58-51, with Copeland leading North Central with 16 points, while LaKorria Brown added 12.

The Lady Pirates moved up from #10 in the preseason poll to #5 in the first regular season poll of the season, released on Monday morning from the NJCAA Division Two office.  

The Pirate men played a pair of games at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City over the weekend, at the Kansas City Kansas Community College Classic.  On Friday afternoon, the Pirates lost to National Park College 102-83.  However, NCMC rebounded on Saturday night to defeat the host KCK Blue Devils 78-69.  Giovanni Mack had 20 points, Tyler King 19, and Isaiah Reams 13 for North Central.  The Pirates will host unbeaten #6 ranked Ellsworth Community College on Tuesday night at 7 o’clock, in a contest scheduled for broadcast on KGOZ FM 101.7.