Roadrunners undefeated in McDonald’s Classic

The Roadrunners basketball team started their season with consecutive wins in the McDonald's Classic Nov. 4-5 in the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center. SFCC (2-0) defeated the Faith Prep Academy Warriors 95-76 Friday night, and Murray State College Aggies 99-86 on Saturday night. 

Freshman guard Onteral Woodson Jr. splashed in a three-point basket to give the team an early 10-3 advantage with just under 18 minutes remaining in the opening half. The Roadrunners led 41-30 at halftime and held on to seal the victory. 

"We were able to force turnovers with our full-court pressure and get some easy baskets in transition," said Roadrunners Head Basketball Coach Kevin Thomas. "We were up and down with our attention to detail and execution the entire night. We couldn't sustain it and make one big run to put them away." 

Sophomore guard Willie Jimerson Jr. led four Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 26 points. He tied for the team lead in steals with freshman forward Jamar Kemp with three. Sophomore guard Corey Mendez pitched in 18 points, and Woodson contributed 16 in his first collegiate game. Sophomore forward Amir Smith registered a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Vonny Irvin dished out a team-high three assists. 

"We will take the win," said Thomas. "We shot poorly from the field, so I'm just glad we were able to come away with a win." 

On Saturday night, the Roadrunners shot a blistering 51.9 percent from the field to take down the Murray State College Aggies from Tishomingo, Oklahoma, 99-86. 

Roadrunners freshman guard Christian Brown knocked down a big three-point basket while being fouled. He stepped to the free-throw line and completed the four-point play to put the team ahead 29-22 with about nine minutes remaining in the half. SFCC made 14 three-point shots in the game. 

"We have guys who are capable of making shots," said Coach Thomas. "We had some moments when we played at a high level, but we have to get better at sustaining it. We struggled to do that all weekend." 

SFCC led 45-33 at halftime and pushed the advantage to 23 points in the second half. Murray State mounted a charge, but SFCC fought it off. 

"We had to go to a zone defense because we had so many guys in foul trouble," said Thomas. "We have to pay attention to details and play with a sense of urgency, which is key moving forward." Jimerson Jr. led six Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 21 points. Irvin contributed 20 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Brown added 16 points, including five of eight from beyond the three-point arc. Mendez pitched in with 12 points and recorded a team-high eight assists. Smith and Woodson Jr. netted 10 points apiece. Kemp led in steals with six. 

SFCC will travel to Fort Scott, Kansas, Nov. 8 to take on Fort Scott Community College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics