The North Central Missouri College men, playing without standout center Cameron Lockett on Wednesday night, struggled to keep up with the high-energy, high-octane playing style of Johnson County Community College, as the visiting Cavaliers beat NCMC 104-74 in a junior college basketball game broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7.
Johnson County, in improving to 10-2 on the season, was led by General Williams with 25 points, while Berlin Roberson had 14 points, including three 3-point shots in the second half, a pair that proved critical for the Cavaliers, after a North Central run early in the second half cut the lead down to 10. Isaiah Mears had 16 points and Xavier Womack 10.
The game was the final contest of the calendar year for the Pirates, who will next be in action on Wednesday, January 9th, hosting Southeast (Nebraska) Community College at 7:30 PM. NCMC, now 7-6 on the campaign, was led by 16 points from freshman forward Quinan Rieves, with Jordan Reece contributing 13 points and Emil Spriggs 11 for the Pirates.
In the opener of Wednesday night’s doubleheader, the Lady Pirates moved to 6-5 prior to their two-game trip to Miami, Florida next week, surviving a game against Graceland University littered with multiple fouls on both teams, in a 89-78 victory at the Ketcham Community Center. The Yellowjackets and the Lady Pirates combined to shoot 98 free throws (49 for each side), while North Central had five players from the eight-woman active roster foul out, leaving just three players on the floor for NCMC by the final buzzer.
Dymeria Guillory had 23 points, with Crystal Eureste, for the second consecutive game, scoring 21 points. Maddie Book, Megan Ernzen, and Hailey Burrows all scored 10.
The Lady Pirates will travel, by plane, from Kansas City International Airport to Miami on Monday, play Miami-Dade on Tuesday night and ASA Miami College on Wednesday night, before hitting their own winter break.
