The North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates, down by 13 points at the half and struggling to hit shots in St. Louis Community College’s giant fieldhouse, showed renewed defensive intensity over the second half, cutting the lead down to 2 points with 5 1/2 minutes remaining.
However, NCMC’s comeback was immediately stunted by St. Louis, as the Lady Archers answered out of a time-out with a quick 10-0 surge, leaving the Lady Pirates down by 12, too deep of a hole to climb out of as the 4th-ranked Archers took a 69-55 victory, heard on Hot Country Z 101.7.
Center Caprice Hairston paced St. Louis with 14 points, with Christiana Wilson adding 12, Ellisha Davis 11, and Kimyra McGhee 10 points. For the Lady Pirates, dropping to 1-2 in Region 16 play (both losses to St. Louis), Sarah Lamp had 14 points, Kendey Eaton 13, and Whitley Richman 11.
The Pirate men, in comparison to the Lady Pirates, started well, taking a first-half lead against St. Louis. However, the Archers caught and passed North Central by the half, leading by two points. In the early part of the second half, the St. Louis back-court of Rashaun Amos and Charles James dominated, frustrating the Pirates defense with an array of jump shots and lightning-quick dribbling displays. A double-digit lead grew for the Archers, with the Pirates unable to make up the deficit in an 83-67 road loss.
Amos and James both had 16 points to lead St. Louis Community College, while for North Central, Jordan Reece had 18 points, Jalen Gant 14, and Cody Glenn 11.
The Lady Pirates will host Cottey College on Monday night at 6 o’clock on Hot Country Z 101.7, with the Pirate men traveling to Ottumwa, Iowa to play Indian Hills on Tuesday night, with the Lady Pirates at the Central Methodist JV on that night. On Saturday, February 10th, both NCMC teams will be in Kansas City, playing the Penn Valley Scouts in a 2 o’clock / 4 o’clock doubleheader on Hot Country Z 101.7.
