The North Central Missouri College men's basketball team delivered a complete performance Saturday, pulling away from St. Louis Community College for an 82-59 victory. The win improves the team's Region 16 standing to 3-2 with a home matchup against the Archers looming on Saturday, February 21st.
The Pirates shot an efficient 53.7 percent from the field and controlled the glass with a 39-27 rebounding advantage, setting the tone on both ends of the floor.
Camden Bennett paced NCMC with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting, adding six rebounds and two steals in a strong all-around effort. Deng Gak provided an interior presence, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. James Porter III recorded a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, anchoring the Pirates' work on the boards.
Camden Brown contributed nine points and dished out five assists to help facilitate the offense, while Grant Redd added three assists and knocked down a three-pointer.
The NCMC bench provided a key spark. Kalen Streit scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds. Talan Holt chipped in six points, and Za'Corrie Kerr added four points and two boards in reserve minutes.
Defensively, NCMC held St. Louis to just 34.4 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from three-point range, while forcing seven turnovers. The Pirates also converted 19-of-26 free throws (73.1 percent) to maintain control throughout the contest.