By ALAN HOSKINS
Kansas City Kansas Community College basketball teams dug themselves first half holes from which they could not escape in a double setback at Cowley College in Arkansas City Saturday night.
The Lady Blue Devils spotted Cowley (19-3) a 39-20 halftime lead in a 71-38 loss while Cowley had a 33-19 first half lead in the men’s game en route to a 75-62 victory. The losses left both teams 7-14 overall and 3-7 in Jayhawk play.
Both teams are right back in action tonight, playing at Hesston in a Division II twin bill that will end a four-game road trip. The Blue Devils will then play five of their final eight doubleheaders at home starting with Johnson County Wednesday night at 5 and 7 p.m.
The Blue Devil men outscored Cowley 43-42 in the second half of the nightcap but it wasn’t enough to overcome 10 turnovers and 30 percent shooting against a stingy Tiger zone defense.
However, the Blue Devils came out blazing from the 3-point line in the second half. Zero for six from 3-point the first half, the Blue Devils were 7 of 15 the second half with Jordan Banks 4-for-7 and Lamonte Burgette 3-for-3.
Dominique Washington led KCKCC with 15 points while Banks added 12, Burgette 9, Josh Rupprecht 8 and Antonio Winn 7.
Washington also had eight rebounds and Rupprecht seven while Winn and D.J. Booker each handed out five assists. James Milliken had 23 points for Cowley (13-9), which tightened its grip on second place in the Jayhawk at 8-2.
An early 22-2 run by Cowley put the opener out of reach as the Lady Blue Devils committed 28 turnovers and shot just 29.4 percent. Alexandria Blaurock had 10 points, Jherica Montgomery eight and Brittany Clement six for KCKCC.
Montgomery also had eight rebounds and Blaurock and Mutiyat Hameed seven each as the Lady Blue Devils had a 42-40 rebound edge.
