The North Central Missouri College basketball teams were at home for a pair of games Saturday night at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton. The NCMC women hosted a first round Region 16 Tournament game against Forest Park and came away with a 68-45 win to keep their season alive. The men, meanwhile, played their last regular season game of the year and lost to John Wood Community College, 76-62.
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Lady Pirates
The North Central women got post-season play off on the right foot with a first-round win in the Region 16 Tournament.
The Lady Pirates jumped out to a 14-10 lead in the early going, but Forest Park would not let them run away with the game. The Lady Norsemen slowly reeled in the Lady Pirates, cutting NCMC’s lead to 22-20. But the Lady Pirates went on a 7-0 run from that point to push their advantage to 29-20 at halftime.
NCMC carried its momentum over into the second half, going on a 14-7 run coming out of the locker room. The Lady Pirates continued to show the way in the second half and went up 53-38. NCMC pulled away down the stretch, taking the game by 23 points.
North Central was led by Cassie Hunt, who proved to be more than Forest Park could handle. Hunt finished the night with a game-high 33 points and 10 rebounds, scoring yet another double-double. Starr Taylor also played a strong game, scoring 19 points and dishing out six assists.
The win moves the Lady Pirates into the semifinals of the Region 16 Tournament. They will play Meramec on the road in St. Louis on Friday.
The Lady Pirates moved to 12-17 on the season with the win.
Pirates
The Pirates wrapped up regular season play with a loss to John Wood Community College.
NCMC battled back and forth with John Wood in the early going and found themselves ahead of the Trailblazers, 16-12. John Wood hit a hot streak from the floor, however, and battled back to take a 24-21 lead by halftime.
NCMC regrouped in the locker room and came out very strong in the second half. The Pirates opened the half with an 8-0 run that saw a four-point play by Byron Bundy, who hit a three and was then fouled, and a dunk by Robert Neeley. NCMC led John Wood, 29-24.
The game was a close one from that point, but the Trailblazers were able to come back and tie the game at 48-48 with 9:30 to play. John Wood went on a 7-0 run from that point to go up 55-48. NCMC came back and closed the gap to 57-55, but that was the closest they would get as they fell in the end by 14.
The Pirates were led by Bundy, who scored a team-high 17 points. Brandon Thomas scored 15 points and Martin Roper had 10. Neeley also contributed with nine points and Devin Eighmey had eight.
The loss dropped the Pirates to 12-15 on the season. NCMC will open play in the Region 16 Tournament on Wednesday, when they face Forest Park in Fulton on the campus of Westminster College. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.