The Lady Roadrunners, the 13th-ranked team in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I women's basketball, used a three-point shot from sophomore guard Sierra Clayborn in the waning seconds to defeat the sixth-ranked team in NJCAA Division II women's basketball, the Kirkwood Community College Eagles from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 53-52.
The Oct. 30 game was part of the opening round of the McDonald's Classic at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center on the SFCC campus. It was the season opener for the Lady Roadrunners.
"We considered taking a two-point shot," said Lady Roadrunners Head Coach Kevin Bucher. "I told Sierra that anytime she had a wide open three-point shot she should take it, because she has been shooting the ball so well. She deserved to have that shot and she was able to step up and knock it down."
The Eagles had an opportunity in the game's final possession with about 12 seconds remaining. SFCC was able to play solid defense and force a jump ball as time expired to seal the victory.
Both teams struggled early offensively in the game. SFCC took the largest lead of the contest for either team leading 19-9 in the second quarter. The game featured 15 lead changes and seven ties.
"Give credit to Kirkwood," said Bucher. "They ran their sets very well. We didn't do a very good job defensively of cutting off their penetration so they were able to get some open three-point shots."
Freshman forward Kiante Johnson led in scoring with 13 points in her first game as a Lady Roadrunner. She also led the team in steals with three. Sophomore guard Seara Clayborn contributed 10 points. Freshman center Kendra Boone pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in her first game as a Lady Roadrunner. Sierra Clayborn dished out a team-high five assists. Sophomore guard Zhanesha Dickerson registered a team-high two blocked shots.
David Rohrbach
SFCC Athletics