Alan Hoskins
Friday, November 07, 2008
College Advancement
Their early season jitters out of the way, Kansas City Kansas Community College basketball teams got into the win column in impressive fashion Thursday night.
A strong defensive performance greased the wheels for a 70-37 women’s triumph over Mid-America Nazarene’s JV while the Blue Devil men put on a spectacular offensive show in a 98-68 thumping of William Jewell’s JV.
The wins elevated both teams to 1-2 heading towards the next-to-last home contests before the holiday break. The Blue Devil men are home against Mid-America Nazarene Monday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. followed by a doubleheader Tuesday, Nov. 18, when the women host Benedictine’s JV at 6 p.m. and the men entertain Ottawa’s JV at 8 p.m.
Guilty of frigid shooting in two losses in the season-opening Keith Lindsey Classic, the Blue Devil men shot a torrid 57.1 percent highlighted by a couple of jarring slam dunks by Travis Fairley and 11 of 23 three-point shooting including five by Derrick Denny and three by Chris Combs.
Fairley led the way with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting and added six rebounds while 6-7 Jack Shortell was an intimidator both offensively and defensively, hitting all six of his shots while scoring 16 points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots. Denny and Combs each finished with 15 points while Melvin Gatson added nine points and John Hale six rebounds off the bench.
Limiting Mid-America to just five field goals and 18.5 percent shooting, the Lady Blue Devils built a 28-13 halftime lead en route to their 70-37 win. KCKCC also forced 31 turnovers although guilty of 22 of its own.
Alexa McGrory and Cameron Roland each had 14 points, Kristian Dodds 10 and Ashleigh Gallio and Kelsey Stanbrough 8 each for the Lady Blue Devils. McGrory and Sarah Craft led rebounding with nine each while Gallio and McGrory handed out five assists apiece.