The North Central Missouri College basketball teams claimed a Region XVI basketball sweep over Metropolitan Community College on Saturday afternoon at the Ketcham Community Center, with the Lady Pirates winning 86-50 and the Pirate men 81-63, in action heard on Hot Country Z 101.7.
Metropolitan, with a roster gutted by COVID protocols and player departures, arrived in Trenton with six active players, not including leading scorer Mackenzi Callaway, with the deep and talented NCMC ladies overwhelming the Wolves for the second time in three weeks, improving to 18-4 overall and 3-0 in Region XVI play, closing in on the #1 seed and first-round bye in the postseason tournament in Jefferson City.
Nora Ford led NCMC with 22 points, with Angel Wiggins adding 14. Maci Moore and Kennadie Crowe each scored nine, with Toya Bethel and Jordan Hibner eight points apiece. Metropolitan, now 9-7 on the season, had 25 points from starting forward Asha Shareef.
The Pirate men continued their early February surge with an 81-63 win over the Wolves, as Kolten Griffin had 20 points and Kam Bevel, in perhaps his best performance as a Pirate, scoring 16 off the bench for North Central. Sterling DeSha added 11 points for NCMC (12-9, 1-1). Metropolitan, in falling to 13-6, 2-1, had 14 points from Austin Johnson, 12 from Langston Flowers, 11 points from Ahian Barnett, and 10 points for Jeremy Moore.
Saturday’s wins followed a Thursday night doubleheader sweep of Southeast (NE) Community College at the Ketcham Center, with the Pirate men downing the storm 86-83, behind 27 points from Griffin and 21 from Isaiah Ervin. Bevel had 13 points for the Pirates, who nearly lost a 21 point mid-second half lead before holding on for the win. With the game tied with 20 seconds remaining, Mack Anderson gave the Pirates the lead for good with a mid-court steal and breakaway slam dunk.  The win improves NCMC to 11-9 and drops SCC to 9-11. Scoring 16 points each for the Storm were Trey Hepburn and Much Biel, while Lucas Williams and Blake Brewster both scored 13.
The Lady Pirates earned a hard-fought 80-73 win over Southeast, improving to 17-4 on the season. Maci Moore had 18 points, Kennadie Crowe 15, Toya Bethel 13, and Nora Ford 10 for a North Central team that struggled from distance, hitting only three 3-point shots in the win.
Southeast, falling to 9-11, was led by Hunter Hartshorn with seven 3-pointers and 21 points, with Kaylee Klover adding 17, Josiee Sobotka 14, and Jordan Koehler 14 for the Storm.
Photo credit – NCMC Athletics / NCMCPirates.com / Trenton, MO
