The 2015-2016 season finished below the usual expectations set for the North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates, with a contest in Kansas City, Kansas particularly memorable, in a not so good way for NCMC, in a blowout (111-59) loss to the team that would win the NJCAA Division 2 national championship in March.
On Tuesday night, with a relatively new set of characters ready to begin the 2016-2017 season, Kansas City Kansas Community College made the trip to Trenton, to play a veteran Lady Pirates team set on payback.
In a game broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7, the Lady Pirates struggled in the first quarter, trailing 28-16 after 10 minutes, but Jenni Croy’s team built momentum for the rest of the half, pulling within 40-33 at the break, then blitzed the Blue Devils with a 26-7 advantage in the third quarter, pulling off the 79-63 victory at the Ketcham Community Center.
In her first game as a Lady Pirate, freshman Kendey Eaton (Mound City, MO) was spectacular, hitting 3 three point field goals, five free throws, and 11 field goals overall, in a 30 point performance that overwhelmed KCK. Sophomore McKinley Hurley played strong defense and added 15 points to the winning total, while Sarah Lamp (Kirksville, MO) added 10 points and 9 rebounds for North Central.
Asia Young (Kansas City, MO) and Madison Gonseth (Murray, IA) came off the bench to supply a combined 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
In a postgame interview with Chuck Haney of U-Click TV, Coach Croy credited a renewed defensive focus as key for the third quarter blitz:
The three-point shot, with seven hit by the Lady Pirates, played a factor on both ends of the floor:
The Lady Pirates, now 1-0 on the season, travel to Overland Park, Kansas this weekend to play in the Johnson County Classic. North Central plays Johnson County on Friday night and Fort Scott on Saturday afternoon.
