Basketball game recaps Feb. 14 and 17

Feb. 14, Missouri State University-West Plains at West Plains

The Roadrunners traveled to West Plains for an important Region 16 and Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) game. SFCC used an outstanding defensive effort forcing three consecutive turnovers in the second half to emerge with a 90-82 victory.

"We defended their ball screens a little bit differently down the stretch," said Head Coach Matt Brown. "That really helped us … our guys did a great job of executing the adjustment that we made."

The Grizzlies got off to a quick start leading 9-2 early in the contest, but the Roadrunners were able to gain a 28-27 edge. Freshman guard Dominic Fragola knocked down his second three-point shot of the half to give his team a 41-36 lead. At the half, SFCC led 41-38.

West Plains tied the game at 51 with under 15 minutes remaining in the second half. The game was a back-and-forth battle featuring 11 lead changes and 12 ties. The Roadrunners held a 10-point advantage late in the contest, which was the largest held by either team in the game. With their defense and outstanding free-throw shooting, SFCC sealed the victory.

SFCC was led in scoring by Andre (A.J.) Walker with 19 points. Freshman guard Tyreek Scott-Grayson contributed 16 points and led in assists and steals with four each. He also tied for the team lead in rebounds with sophomore center Isaac Bassey with five each. Bassey registered two blocked shots. Freshman guard Dru Smith pitched in 14 points. Freshman forward/center Caleb Coleman added 13 points. Sophomore guard Derrick Brock, Jr. registered 11 points.

SFCC shot 81.6 percent from the free-throw line and forced the Grizzlies into 20 turnovers.

Feb. 17, Moberly Area Community College at Moberly

The Roadrunners traveled to Moberly to take on the eighth-ranked Moberly Area Community College Greyhounds in an important Region 16 and MCCAC game. SFCC fell by a score of 112-108.

SFCC (18-8, 3-4 in Region 16, 5-4 in the MCCAC) started the game with a 10-2 run and led 58-41 at halftime. The Roadrunners shot a blistering 71.9 percent from the field and knocked down six out of nine three-point shots in the opening half.

"We shot the ball very well the entire game," said Brown. "Hopefully, we will get a chance to play them again in a couple of weeks."

SFCC stretched the lead to 61-41 in the second half; the 20-point advantage was largest held by either team in the contest. However, the Greyhounds turned up the trap pressure with about 15 minutes remaining in the second half to swing the momentum in their favor. The Greyhounds forced the Roadrunners into 21 turnovers in the game and outscored the Roadrunners 71-50 in the second half for the win.

"Obviously, Moberly is a good team and that is why they are 7-0 in the Region," said Brown. "We played a good game. We had a 17-point lead at halftime but just couldn't hold on. We will make some adjustments and hopefully get a chance to play them again in the region Tournament."

Freshman guard Tim Leavell led five Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 30 points. He knocked down 11 of his 17 shots from the field and three of his five three-point attempts. Walkerregistered a double-double with 24 points and a team-high 10 assists. He also led his team in steals with three. Smith contributed 15 points and tied for the team lead in rebounds with Coleman with five. Coleman added 14 points. Freshman guard/forward LePear Toles pitched in 10 points.

SFCC will return home to the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when they host Marshalltown Community College. (Game was set for Feb. 20 but was rescheduled because of inclement weather.)

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics