ALAN HOSKINS
Powered by one of the best shooting performances in Kansas City Kansas Community College basketball history, the Blue Devil men got revenge for a third straight game Wednesday and had it not been for a last second shot in a 51-50 loss, the Lady Blue Devils would have made it a sweep.
Sophomore guard Jordan Banks put up 16 shots – nine from the field and seven from the foul line – and missed only two in leading the Blue Devil men to an 80-74 win over Independence.
The win, KCKCC’s fourth in a row, not only avenged an earlier 73-66 loss at Independence but set up a critical home game against Fort Scott Saturday afternoon (women at 2 p.m.; men at 4 p.m.). A win would not only wrap up a first round home playoff berth March 2 but would keep alive Blue Devil hopes of gaining a coveted first round bye.
A sophomore guard from Olathe East, Jordan continued his recent spectacular shooting spree by hitting 8-of-9 shots from the floor including 3-of-3 from three-point range and 6-of-7 free throws for a career high 26 points along with six rebounds,.
Dominique Washington added a double double with 22 points and 12 rebounds; Josh Rupprecht nine points and five rebounds; and Evrard Atcho 10 rebounds, four blocks and six points as the Blue Devils dominated the rebounding 43-31. Triggermen were guards Antonio Winn and D.J. Booker. Winn had six assists and Booker five and each scored seven points.
Shooting a crisp 55.6 percent, the Blue Devils built a 40-30 halftime lead and never trailed although the Pirates twice got within three points, the last time with 1:01 left but two free throws each by Banks and Booker in the final 10 seconds sealed the win.
Sabrina Berry’s field goal on a pass from Hail Ford with 1.6 seconds remaining gave Indy its 51-50 win in the opener after Jherica Montgomery had converted two clutch free throws with eight seconds to go to give the Lady Blue Devils a 50-49 lead and foil a big KCKCC comeback.
Beaten 71-45 at Indy earlier, the Blue Devils came from eight points back. Trailing 39-31, KCKCC reeled off 10 straight points on baskets by Montgomery, Bailey West, Paris Johnson and Samantha
Hurst and then built the lead to 48-43 on a Hurst 3-pointer with three minutes left.
Taking advantage of a pair of steals by Dani Wallen-Morillo, Indy went back ahead on a Berry field goal before Montgomery’s two free throws regained the lead.
Alexandria Blaurock had 13 points, Hurst 12 and Montgomery 11 to lead the KCKCC scoring. Montgomery also had nine rebounds in her return to the starting lineup.
Indy helped the KCKCC cause by failing to make a free throw in eight attempts but the Blue Devils sabotaged their big effort with 22 turnovers.
