While the women’s basketball season, as a whole, has been strong at North Central Missouri College, a four-team Region 16 group, as strong as ever, has challenged the Lady Pirates, who spent Valentine’s Night in Nevada, Missouri, looking for a victory over the Cottey Comets to salvage a #3 seed in the postseason tournament on March 2nd and 3rd in Jefferson City.
With the knowledge that a loss would have locked NCMC into the 4 seed (and a semifinal meeting with powerhouse, #4 ranked St. Louis), the Lady Pirates came out focused on Cottey’s driving style and perimeter game, with a low-scoring, physical game ensuing.
Led by seven points in the opening quarter by sophomore Kendey Eaton, the Lady Pirates led 13-7 after 10 minutes, with a prolonged shooting slump by both sides opening the first four minutes of the second quarter. A pair of three-pointers by North Central (one by Samm Jett, one by Hailey Burrows) gave the visitors a bit of an offensive charge, with NCMC leading 23-15 at the half.
The third quarter saw the Comets play their best basketball of the night, as Cottey ralled swiftly for a tie score midway through the frame. However, in a 10 minute stretch that saw BOTH teams score 22 points, the Lady Pirates answered with a 10-0 surge, and never trailed again. Eaton had six points in the quarter for the Lady Pirates, with Jett and Burrows adding another pair of three balls, helping to offset a 9 point quarter by Cottey’s Katrina Cantu.
The final score was North Central 64, Cottey 52, giving Jenni Croy’s group their second region win of the regular season, and avenging a two-point loss to Cottey at the Ketcham Community Center on Monday, February 5th. The Lady Pirates record is now 19-8, while improving to 2-4 in region play. Cottey is 6-13 overall, and 1-4 in region play.
Wednesday night’s contest from the Hinkhouse Center at Cottey College was broadcast locally on Hot Country Z 101.7. Eaton led North Central with 19 points, while Jett and Burrows both tallied eight points and Maddie Book seven, as all ten Lady Pirates played and scored in a balanced effort. Sophomore Madison Gonseth set the physical tone of the game early for the Lady Pirates, dominating the paint with a combination of rebounding, energy, and blocked shots that energized her squad. The native of Murray, Iowa finished with a 10 rebound night for NCMC. The Comets were led by Cantu with 11 points, Mallory Moles with 11, and Destiney Teniente with 10.
The “Voice of the Pirates” Tom Johnson spoke after the game with Coach Croy, first about the low-scoring nature of the game:
The Lady Pirates and Pirate men are next in action on Saturday afternoon, playing the Southeast (NE) Community College Storm at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton. Women’s tip is at 2 o’clock, with the men at 4, on Hot Country Z 101.7.
