KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas City Kansas Community College guard Cierra Gaines is the Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week for her play in the Lady Blue Devils’ two opening wins last week.
A 5-7 sophomore, Gaines scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in KCKCC’s opening 96-38 opening win over Missouri Valley JV and then followed it up with 16 points and four rebounds in an 86-62 win at North Central Missouri Saturday.
Gaines’ 12 field goals in the two games include five 3-point baskets.
“It’s the other things that I’m seeing her do to help make her a more rounded player on the defensive end,” said KCKCC Coach Valerie Stambersky. She’s averaging three steals and two assists while playing about 24 minutes per game.
A native of Glen Carbon, Ill., outside St. Louis, Gaines played high school basketball at Edwardsville with Blue Devil teammate Erin Anderson. Gaines played one year at Merrimac Community College before transferring to KCKCC at the start of the 2014 Spring Semester.
The Lady Blue Devils return to action this weekend when they host the annual Keith Lindsey Classic. KCKCC will play Ellsworth Friday at 6 p.m. and Penn Valley Saturday at 4 p.m. In other women’s games, Fort Scott will play Penn Valley Friday at 2 p.m. and Ellsworth Saturday at noon.
Four men’s games are also on tap with Highland playing St. Louis Community College Friday at 4 p.m. and KCKCC facing On Point Hoops Academy at 8 p.m.
Highland will also play On Point Saturday at 2 p.m. with the Blue Devil men facing St. Louis at 6 immediately after the KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame induction of Duane Shaw and the late Keith Lindsey.
