The North Central Missouri College basketball teams picked up wins over rival Penn Valley on Wednesday night in the Division II Region 16 openers for both schools. The Lady Pirates scored a 74-61 win and the Pirates were victorious, 118-110.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Lady Pirates
The Lady Pirates found themselves in a back-and-forth battle early on, but an 8-0 run midway through the first half gave the Lady Pirates a lead they would not lose. The NCMC women were able to build on their advantage in the second half, winning by 13 points in the end.
Brittany Williams led the Lady Pirates with 20 points. Kelsey Griffin added 10 and Amanda Rodenburg finished with nine.
“We got off to a slow start, but then Brittany stepped up for us,” Lady Pirates’ Head Coach Jenni Croy said. “Our guard play really made the difference for us. We struggled under the basket, so I was glad to see our guards take over. It was a physical game and I felt like we handled it well. This group of kids continues to improve and that’s exciting.”
With the win, the Lady Pirates improved to 9-8 on the season.
Pirates
The North Central men had their run and gun game going in the men’s contest, one in which the two teams combined for 228 points.
The Pirates had six players in double figures, with Matt Kelly leading the way with 39 points.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Pirates and improved them to 10-4 on the season.
Both NCMC teams will hit the floor again on Saturday as they host John Wood Community College at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton. Action tips off with the women’s game at 2 p.m. and the men will follow at 4 p.m.
The Pirates and Lady Pirates will also be home two more times next week before the five-game homestand ends. NCMC hosts the Cottey College women and Wentworth Military Academy men on Wednesday at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. NCMC then close the homestand hosting St. Louis Community College on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 and 4 p.m.