The 21st ranked North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates battled their way to a 62-56 victory over Kansas City Kansas Community College on the road Wednesday, using a dominant effort on the glass and key contributions off the bench to secure the win. NCMC is now 22-7 with a home matchup against St. Louis CC on Saturday to close out the regular season.
NCMC controlled the boards throughout the contest, outrebounding KCKCC 50-45, including 23 offensive rebounds that created valuable second-chance opportunities. The Lady Pirates also forced 25 turnovers and turned defensive pressure into momentum-changing possessions.
Freshman Liz Oliver paced the offense with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds, adding two assists in a strong all-around performance. Honor Mannings added 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, and a block, impacting the game on both ends of the floor.
The Lady Pirates' bench proved decisive. Lexi Burns delivered an efficient 13-point effort on 5-of-9 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds, five of them on the offensive end. Peyton Johnson chipped in eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, and Laney Uchtman provided a spark inside with seven points and six rebounds. Addilyn Henke filled the stat sheet with six points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Despite shooting 29.3 percent from the field, NCMC capitalized at key moments and converted 14 free throws to hold off a late push from KCKCC. The Lady Pirates' defensive intensity and rebounding advantage ultimately sealed the six-point victory.