Monday, January 6, 2014

KCKCC women win seventh in a row; men's record road trip at end

By ALAN HOSKINS

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- While Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women continue to win, the Blue Devil men’s record road trip is at an end.

The Lady Blue Devils made it seven in a row with a 79-60 win over Cottey College Saturday while the Blue Devil men played their 10th straight game on the road, dropping a 65-54 decision to Nebraska Northeast in the Highland Classic.

Both teams are back in action today, hosting Southeast Nebraska in games at 5 and 7 p.m. It will be the men’s first home game since Nov. 19.

Ranked No. 10 nationally, the KCKCC women ran their record to 14-1 by forcing 11 turnovers and racing to a 17-1 lead in the first eight minutes Saturday.  Five Blue Devils scored in double figures and every Blue Devil scored as KCKCC led 31-16 at halftime against a Cottey team they barely edged 79-76 Dec. 10.

Bailey West led with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Janai Mitchell and Cassidy Harbert each had double doubles. It was Mitchell’s first with 14 points and 14 rebounds while Harbert had 11 points and 10 assists. Iland Shurn also had 14 points and six rebounds and Kalah Jiggetts 10 points.

With three players sidelined by injury, the Blue Devil men fell to Cloud County 67-47 Friday and Northeast 65-54 Saturday in the Highland Classic. Anthony Ridley had 14 points and five assists and Clay Young 14 points and six rebounds to lead KCKCC against Cloud.

Northeast boosted its record to 12-5 Saturday by holding KCKCC to 28.6 first half shooting and jumping out to a 35-22 lead.

Stephen Leimbach led KCKCC with 16 points while Ridley added 12 points and eight rebounds and Lucas Smith 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The loss dropped KCKCC to 5-9.