Roadrunners Sweep Midwest Bone and Joint Center Classic

The Roadrunners won both their games Nov. 27-28 in the Midwest Bone and Joint Center Classic in Moberly. SFCC (11-1) eked out a win over the Highland Community College Cougars from Freeport, Illinois, 83-82 on Friday and defeated the Malcolm X College Hawks from Chicago 102-84 on Saturday. 

On Friday the Roadrunners got their offense going quickly and led 42-27 at halftime. They extended the advantage to 20 points early in the second half. Highland outscored the Roadrunners 55-41 in the second half but SFCC made just enough plays to secure the victory. 

"Highland outplayed us in the second half," said Roadrunners Head Coach Kevin Thomas. "Fortunately, Josh made some big shots down the stretch and we were able to get a couple of defensive stops to win the game. We played hard in the first half and guarded them well. The second half was the complete opposite." 

Sophomore forward Clint Robinson led four Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 16 points. He also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and registered a team-high three blocked shots. Sophomore guard Joshua Bailey and freshman guard Willie Jimerson Jr. each scored 15 points. Freshman forward Keari Brown added 11 points. Sophomore guard Ronnie Rousseau III dished out a team-high 10 assists. Freshman guard Craig McKenzie Jr. led the team in steals with three. 

On Saturday the Roadrunners jumped out to an early 24-10 lead against Malcolm X and led 47-33 at halftime. 

"We did a good job sharing the basketball and making the right plays," said Thomas. "The first 10 or 12 minutes we played solid defense, but then our intensity dropped." 

Rousseau led four Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 30 points. Robinson contributed a double double with 19 points and a team-high 12 rebounds and also registered a team-high six blocked shots. Jimerson recorded another double double with 17 points and a team-leading 11 assists. He also registered four steals. McKenzie pitched in with 14 points. 

With the Malcolm X win, Thomas picked up his 100th career win at SFCC. SFCC will travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa, Dec. 1 to take on Iowa Western at 7 p.m.  

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics