Men’s Basketball Recap March 24-April 2

March 24 Missouri State University-West Plains at Sedalia

The State Fair Community College (SFCC) Roadrunners used a pair of free throws from freshman guard/forward Naysean Baisy of Seattle, Washington to secure a 67-65 victory over the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzlies on Wednesday, March 24 in a Region 16 and Missouri Community College Athletic Conference game.

The game was tied at 65, with time running out on the final possession for SFCC, the Roadrunners got the ball to Baisy, who was fouled while attempting a three-point shot with one second remaining. Baisy missed the first free throw, and after a timeout by West Plains calmly made the remaining two free throws.

"We wanted to get to the basket," said Roadrunners Head Coach Matt Brown. "We just wanted to make sure we got the last shot. We didn't want to give West Plains another possession."

Coach Brown was pleased with the effort from Caleb and Malek Mims of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

"I thought Caleb and Malek gave us really good energy from start to finish," said Brown. That is why we started them tonight. I was proud of them."

The Roadrunners were led in scoring by sophomore guard/forward Kohen Thompson of Memphis, Tennessee with 18 points. Freshman guard Chad Kratzer, Jr. of Allentown, Pennsylvania contributed 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Kratzer also tied for the team lead with three assists with sophomore guard Mahamadou Nimaga of Bronx, New York, freshman guard Tavari Eckwood of Springdale, Arkansas, and Baisy. Caleb Mims registered a team-high three steals.

March 27 Moberly Area Community College at Moberly, Missouri

SFCC lost a Region 16 and Missouri Community College Athletic Conference game, 93-70 to Moberly Area Community College on Saturday, March 27 in Moberly.

Moberly led 21-10 with less than 12 minutes remaining in the opening half. The Greyhounds pushed the advantage to 45-32 at halftime and pulled away in the second half to get the victory.

Freshman guard/forward Lavric Mangala of Nashville, Tennessee led the Roadrunners in scoring with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Malek Mims contributed 14 points. Caleb Mims dished out a team-high five assists.

March 28 St. Louis Community College at St. Louis, Missouri

SFCC ended the regular season with a Missouri Community College Athletic Conference game, 95-88 triple overtime loss to the St. Louis Community College Archers on Sunday, March 28 in St. Louis.

Kratzer led three Roadrunners in double figures with 32 points. Kratzer also led the team in rebounds with eight. Thompson added 16 points. Mangala added 15 points and a team-high three steals. Nimaga had a team-high four assists.

March 30 Three Rivers Community College at Poplar Bluff, Missouri

The fifth-seeded Roadrunners (9-14) defeated the fourth-seeded Three Rivers Community College Raiders 72-64 on Tuesday, March 30 in the opening round of the Region 16 Tournament in Poplar Bluff. The game was a back-and-forth contest.

SFCC took a 33-28 lead at halftime courtesy of a dunk from Thompson to close the half. The Raiders fought back to tie the game at 39. The Roadrunners led 48-43 with less than 13 minutes to go in the contest. Three Rivers refused to go away but, SFCC had an answer every time. The Raiders would make a run in the game. SFCC made the plays late to seal the victory and earn themselves a spot in the Region 16 Semifinal Round in Park Hills, Missouri on Friday night.

Thompson led four Roadrunners in double figures with 22 points. Thompson also registered a team-high three steals. Caleb Mims contributed 14 points and tied for the team lead in rebounds with nine with Thompson. Sophomore forward Corey Nzigamasabo of Montréal, Québec pitched in with 12 points. Kratzer added 10 points. Baisy dished out a team-high seven assists.

"We were able to move the ball and share the ball well," said Brown. "We are probably playing our best basketball. It's difficult to win a game on the road and I'm thankful that we did."

April 2 Mineral Area College at Park Hills, Missouri

The fifth-seeded Roadrunners (9-15) saw their season come to an end with an 88-52 loss to the top-seeded Mineral Area College Cardinals on Friday, April 2 in the semifinal round of the Region 16 Tournament in Park Hills.

Mineral Area opened the game with an 18-4 run and never looked back. The Cardinals took a 49-21 lead at halftime.

Thompson led the team in scoring with 10 points. Nzigamasabo pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Eckwood dished out a team-high four assists and led the team in steals with three. Baisy led the team in blocked shots with two.

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics