The North Central Missouri College Pirates put together an efficient offensive performance and dominant effort on the glass to earn a 78-61 victory over St. Louis Community College on Saturday.  The win secured the #1 seed for this weekend's NJCAA Region 16 Tournament which will be played at Jefferson College.  NCMC's record sits at 20-8 overall.

Camden Bennett led the way with a game-high 32 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field and a near-perfect 12-of-13 from the free throw line. Bennett consistently attacked the rim and converted at the stripe, helping the Pirates shoot 81.3 percent as a team from the line.

Inside, James Porter III delivered a strong all-around performance with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. Deng Gak added 11 points and 11 rebounds to record a double-double of his own, anchoring a Pirates frontcourt that controlled the boards 40-28.

Darric Smith paced St. Louis with 17 points, but NCMC's defensive pressure and rebounding margin proved decisive. Grant Redd and Camden Brown each recorded three steals, while Kalen Streit provided a spark off the bench with four assists, four rebounds, and three points on a perfect 1-of-1 shooting from beyond the arc.

The Pirates shot 52.2 percent from the field and limited St. Louis to 35.8 percent shooting, using efficiency and physicality to secure the 17-point win.