The Roadrunners traveled to Ottumwa, Iowa, Dec. 9-10 to participate in the Bowling RV Classic. SFCC (10-6) lost both games.
On Friday night the Roadrunners played the host and 19th ranked Indian Hills Community College Warriors. Indian Hills jumped out to a quick 13-0 before sophomore guard Corey Mendez got the Roadrunners on the scoreboard.
The Warriors led 44-25 at halftime and took a 26-point lead in the second half. They won 93-71.
"In the first five minutes, it seemed like Indian Hills made every shot they took," said Head Coach Kevin Thomas. "They played extremely well. We didn't do a terrible job guarding them; they just made shots. We went to a zone defense that bothered them a little bit. We had opportunities on the other end of the floor but just couldn't score."
Sophomore guard Willie Jimerson Jr. led the Roadrunners in scoring with 21 points. He pulled down four rebounds and dished out two assists. Sophomore forward Amir Smith pitched in 17 points and led in blocked shots with four. Freshman forward Jamar Kemp added 11 points and recorded a team-high eight rebounds and four steals.
On Saturday afternoon, SFCC took on Ellsworth Community College Panthers from Iowa Falls.The Roadrunners trailed 41-34 at halftime but fought back to take the lead.
"We were able to get some defensive stops," said Thomas. "We did a better job of sharing the basketball, and then we stopped doing the things that helped us be successful."
The Panthers withstood the run, taking a 16-point lead in the second half and defeating the Roadrunners 83-68.
"Ellsworth shot the ball well, and we didn't make the plays needed to win," said Thomas. "We took the lead in second half for brief minute, but we were unable to sustain it."
Jimerson led three Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 28 points. Freshman guard Onteral Woodson Jr. contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. He also led in steals with two. Kemp registered a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Mendez and Jimerson tied for the lead in assists at three apiece.
The Roadrunners will turn their attention to finals before returning to the court at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 against the Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Scouts in Kansas City to end the semester.
David Rohrbach
SFCC Athletics