On Tuesday night, the North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates clashed with the John Wood Trail Blazers in a regional battle of rival junior college squads in Quincy, Illinois. Bolstered by a strong first quarter start, the Lady Pirates emerged triumphant by a final score of 85-70.
Rebounding from a recent shooting slump, freshman point guard Jessica Reeter led NCMC with 23 points while adding six rebounds. Freshman forward Jacie Morris had 13 points off of the bench, adding six boards, while sophomore forward Tori Meinecke contributed 12 points in the win, improving the Lady Pirates to 12-2. North Central’s depth played a role in the win, with eleven players earning playing time, with ten of them getting into the scoring column. Mary Copeland had nine, Nateonia Russell eight, and LaKorria Brown seven points.
Katey Flynn led the charge for the host Trail Blazers, delivering a 26 point performance with Krista Rittenhouse adding 11. John Wood, with the loss, falls to a record of 4-7.
The Lady Pirates maintained control throughout the game, with shooting percentages leaning the way of the 12th ranked team in the country (NJCAA D-2), with North Central shooting 59% from the field and 78% from the free throw line. John Wood was held to 32% shooting from the field.
With a record now ten games above .500, the Lady Pirates are looking forward to participating in the Panther Holiday Classic in Palm Beach, Florida. On Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock, the Lady Pirates play the Morton College Panthers. On Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock, in their final game before holiday break, North Central will take on the host school, Palm Beach State.
