NCMC Shows Improvment In Home Split
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Jami Nickerson nails a wide-open three-pointer during the Lady Pirates’ 79-68 loss to Kansas City Kansas Community College on Wednesday night in Trenton. Nickerson hit six-of-14 three-point attempts, tying for the team-high scoring lead with 20 points.
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Lady Pirates
The North Central women suffered their third loss in a row to open the season, falling to KCK. The Lady Pirates held their own early, standing tied with the visitors following the first quarter, but KCK began to take over in the second quarter with a 21-14 run that put NCMC down 38-31 at the break. The Lady Pirates battled back in the third quarter, trimming the lead to five points, but KCK put the game away in the final frame, closing the contest with a 27-point fourth quarter.
“We played much better than we did over the weekend,” Lady Pirates’ Head Coach Jenni Croy said. “I felt like we shot the ball pretty well. We’ve got work to do defensively, but our offensive movement was much better.
“KCKCC is ranked 20th in the NJCAA Division II poll, but I think these girls proved they are capable of playing with that caliber of team. We play these teams so we can get better and be ready for our Region 16 opponents in the second semester. We are striving for improvement every game and I feel like we showed improvement tonight.”
Madison Winters had a big night for the Lady Pirates, nearly tallying a triple-double. Winters finished tied for the team-high in points with 20 and also added nine rebounds and eight assists. Jami Nickerson also scored 20 points for the Lady Pirates, connecting on six-of-14 three-point shots. McKinley Hurley gave North Central nine points and five rebounds in the loss.
With the defeat, NCMC slipped to 0-3 on the season.
Pirates
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Demetrius Houston drops in two points on a layup during the Pirates 90-69 victory over the Missouri Valley College JV at the Ketcham Community Center on Wednesday night. Houston finished the night with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The North Central men were able to push through and get the first win of the season for the college, scoring a 21-point victory over the Missouri Valley junior varsity. The Pirates grabbed control of the contest early and ran out to a 44-30 lead in the first half. In the second half, NCMC had little trouble protecting their advantage, pushing the lead to 90-69 by the final buzzer.
“You talk about playing a JV team, but when you have all brand new players, this is the kind of game we need,” Pirates’ Head Coach Steve Richman said. “I saw progress in what we are trying to do tonight. We played well together, made the extra passes and those are the things I was concerned about coming into this year. I also saw some things we need to correct, but we are slowly making progress.”
The Pirates were paced by Terrance Bush, who scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds. D’oeuvre Walker had 16 points as well and pulled down nine rebounds and Xavier Parkman finished with a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Caleb Berry added 12 points and four assists and Demetrius Houston had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
With the win, North Central evened their record at 1-1 overall.
Both the Lady Pirates and Pirates will be back at home next Wednesday, playing host to Ellsworth Community College. Action at the Ketcham Community Center begins at 5:30 p.m. with the women’s game and the men’s contest will follow at 7:30.