NCMC hoops teams look sharp in season-opening jamboree competition

The North Central Missouri College basketball teams traveled into the state of Iowa to compete in their first “jamborees” of October, with the Lady Pirates in Iowa Falls, Iowa on Sunday, while the Pirates played on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Saturday.

Both NCMC teams went 2-1, with the Lady Pirates beating Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) 46-45 and Iowa Central Community College 59-36.  In their final scrimmage of the day, Jenni Croy’s team lost to North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC/Mason City, IA) 68-61.

Playing their first competitive action while led by first-year Head Coach Jeremy Esry, the Pirate men also went 2-1, beating Madison Community College 50-41 and Northeast Community College 59-43.  In their middle contest, the Pirates fell to Kishwaukee Community College 50-39.

Both Pirate teams, looking at 2016-2017, should be buoyed by strong returning sophomore talent.  The Lady Pirates return Trenton native McKinley Hurley and last year’s starting shooting guard Jami Nickerson, in addition to Asia Young, Adriana Segar, Sydnie Stewart, and Dasia Young.  Five-foot-ten freshman Madison Gonseth (Murray, IA) and 5’11” freshman Sarah Lamp (Kirksville, MO) were added to provide much-needed size to the Lady Pirate front court.

Coach Esry has sharp-shooting guard Major Finley as a key returner for 2016-2017, in addition to starting point guard Demetrius Houston, Jr., 5’9″ sophomore guard Lorenzo Chisholm, and 6’3′ forward Brandon Burden (sophomore / Hayti, MO).

The freshman group for the men has more depth than the women, as Coach Esry hit the in-state recruiting trail hard, adding Kirksville’s Chance Edwards, St. Joseph (Benton) product M.J. Johnson, Trenton’s Cree Mullenix, Jalen Gant of Kansas City, Harris Cameron of Galllatin, and Waynesville’s Ryan Ward to the Pirate roster, in addition to out-of-state additions Tyreke Bell of Birmingham, Alabama, Joshuah Goss of Sachse, Texas, Dee Scruggs of Birmingham, Alabama, and Teyontae Jenkins of Des Moines to a potentially group of student athletes.

The Lady Pirates next “jamboree” will be at Park University in Parkville, Missouri on Friday, October 21st, followed by a scrimmage against Missouri Valley at the Ketcham Community Center on Wednesday, October 26th.  The season opener for the NCMC women is Tuesday, November 1st against Kansas City Kansas Community College at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton (5:30 PM).

The Pirate men travel to the “Warrensburg Jamboree” in Warrensburg, Missouri on Sunday, October 16th, and will play Johnson County Community College in Leawood, Kansas on Tuesday, November 1st at 7:30 PM in Leawood, Kansas.