Sophomore Mariah Marusak got Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women’s basketball season off on the right foot with a dazzling three-point shooting display Tuesday but the Blue Devil men were not so fortunate from long range.
Draining 10 of 25 three-pointers including six by Tyrell Corlew, Southeast Community College of Beatrice, Neb., rallied for a 73-70 men’s win after the Lady Blue Devils had taken a 69-56 opener.
Both teams are back in action this week as hosts of the annual 8-game Keith Lindsay Classic.
Johnson County will open the Classic both days, facing Wentworth at 2 p.m. Friday and Southwestern at noon on Saturday while Highland’s men will play Wentworth Friday (4 p.m.) and North Arkansas Saturday (2 p.m.).
A 5-5 guard from SM South, Marusak more than doubled her previous best of nine points by hitting five of six three-pointers in a 19-point performance.
Tied 17-17 in the first half, Brittany Clement ignited a 16-3 KCKCC run with three free throws and a three-pointer and Marusak chipped in a pair of treys as the Blue Devils built a 40-27 halftime lead and were never seriously challenged.
Clement scored 15 points for the Lady Blue Devils while Alexandria Blaurock pulled down 11 rebounds and scored seven points. Paris Johnson added eight points and Latosha Ware seven points and six rebounds.
While the Lady Blue Devils broke open a tight game in the latter stages of the first half, the Blue Devil men let a 32-17 lead get away.
Limited to just two field goals the final 8:22 of the half, KCKCC had its halftime lead trimmed to 36-34 and set up a furious second half.
Ahead by as many as seven points, the Blue Devils went nearly six minutes without a field goal in the final seven minutes while Corlew was hitting three 3-pointers as the Storm built a four-point lead and held on from the foul line.
KCKCC got a big performance from 6-7 newcomer Dominique Washington, who had 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 13 rebounds while veteran Josh Rupprecht had 20 points and seven rebounds and freshman Antonio Winn 14 points.
