The North Central Missouri College men’s basketball team returned home Saturday to host Florissant Valley Community College. The Pirates got a huge game from Martin Roper and pulled out the win by a final score of 81-77.
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NCMC came out of the gates strongly, but Florissant Valley matched the Pirates stride-for-stride in the early going. NCMC fell off slightly midway through the first half, enabling Florissant Valley to gain the lead. At the break, the Pirates trailed 33-28.
Out of halftime, Florissant Valley went on a small run, pushing the lead to 11 points. The Pirates stayed calm, however, and began to battle back behind strong shooting from Roper and Brandon Thomas. The Pirates regained the lead and held on in the late stages of the game to earn the victory.
“I was really pleased with the way our kids stayed composed in the second half,” NCMC Head Coach Steve Richman said. “It’s good to get a region win when we have been struggling.”
Roper finished the night with a game-high 31 points and 22 rebounds. Roper also added two steals and two assists to his stat line.
“We got a huge game from Martin Roper,” Richman said. “He is a good solid player who works hard. Those are the kind of results you get from working and playing hard.”
Thomas had a strong night as well, finishing with 16 points and six assists. Devin Eighmey hit double figures also, scoring 11 points.
The Pirates record on the season improved to 8-12 as they continue to gain momentum. The Pirates next contest will be on Wednesday when they travel to Kansas City to take on Penn Valley Community College.