Roadrunners lose opener, split McDonald’s Classic

Nov. 2 - Missouri Baptist University Junior Varsity at Sedalia

The Roadrunners dropped a 79-71 game to Missouri Baptist University Junior Varsity in their season opener at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center in Sedalia. The back-and-forth contest featured 12 lead changes and 12 ties.

SFCC took a 33-28 lead at halftime despite good shooting by Missouri Baptist. Missouri Baptist made 13 of 16 free throws in the second half to seal the victory.

"We had a lot of new guys out there tonight," said Roadrunners Head Coach Matt Brown. "When you shoot 51% from beyond the three-point arc, 41% from the field, and 76% from the free-throw line like Missouri Baptist did, you're not going to lose many games, and they didn't. We didn't shoot the ball well at all. We need to do a better job of guarding the three-point shot."

Freshman guard Devon Ellis of Chicago, Illinois, registered 26 points and tied sophomore wing/forward Dalton Gayman of Nevada for the team lead in rebounds at nine. Freshman guard Tazir Smith of Woodbridge, Virginia, contributed 15 points. Freshman guard Elijah Bernstein of Missouri City, Texas, and sophomore guard Jules Bikoy of Fort Washington, Maryland, tied for the team lead in assists at four. Bikoy led the team in steals with five.

Nov. 4 - Central Methodist University Junior Varsity at Sedalia

The Roadrunners opened the McDonald's Classic with a 69-68 victory over Central Methodist University Junior Varsity at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center in Sedalia.

SFCC was down two points in the final seconds of the contest when a Roadrunner inbounded the ball in SFCC's court. The ball was passed to Smith who banked a 30 foot three-point shot from the far elbow to give SFCC the victory.

"It was a tough shot," said Brown. "We were really fortunate to win the game. Central Methodist outplayed us the entire game."

The game featured nine lead changes and one tie. SFCC led 31-23 at halftime.

Smith led the team with 17 points. Gayman contributed 13 points and tied with Bernstein for the team lead in assists at four. Bernstein scored 11 points and tied with freshman guard Trey Jones of Little Rock, Arkansas, for the team lead in steals at two. Sophomore wing/forward Abou Wague of Brooklyn, New Your, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Nov. 5 - Butler Community College-Kansas at Sedalia

SFCC (1-2) closed the McDonald's Classic with a 67-54 loss to the 23^rd ranked Butler Community College Grizzlies in the Davis Multipurpose Center in Sedalia. The game featured 12 lead changes and 10 ties.

The game was tied at 34 at halftime. Butler went on a run with about 13 minutes remaining in the game to take a 55-43 lead and take control of the contest.

"Our biggest thing this game was just trying to compete," said Brown. "We wanted to be in a position to win the game, and we definitely did a better job of that tonight. We had some lapses in the game, but overall, I thought our guys were more competitive tonight. Butler is a good team, but we are trending in the right direction."

Smith led the Roadrunners in scoring with 15 points and tied with Ellis for the team lead in assists at three. Smith led the team in steals with four. Ellis pitched in 13 points. Wague pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in the game.

David Rohrbach
SFCC Athletics