The Battle of Highway 31 season series concludes this weekend as the Rangers travel to Tyler to face the Apaches of Tyler Junior College 4 p.m. Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader.
TJC left a sour taste in the mouths of the Rangers the last time the teams met. The Apaches invaded Masters Gymnasium Jan. 6 and routed KC 76-54, but more importantly, sparked a four-game KC losing streak.
However, since that losing streak, the Rangers (16-10, 9-7) have reeled off a 7-2 record, including six consecutive home wins.
The Rangers swept last week’s games with home wins over Lon Morris College and Bossier Parish Community College.
Feb. 17 – KC 58, Bossier Parish 44
After a low-scoring, back-and-forth first half, KC pulled away for its sixth straight home win, 58-44, against Bossier Parish Community College Wednesday in Masters Gymnasium.
KC and BPCC combined for 187 points Dec. 5 in Bossier City, La. The second time around both teams failed to reach 50 points collectively at halftime, with the score tied 23-23.
KC’s defense limited the Cavaliers to 21 second-half points. Eric Mayo and Chris Angsomwine entertained the crowd with dunks late in the game. Angsomwine’s slam with eight seconds gave KC its largest lead of the game, 58-44.
Mayo recorded a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Gentry Hines added 13 points for KC, while Dane Smith chipped in 10 points. Jasaan Roberson was the lone Cavalier to reach double-figures with 12 points.
Feb. 13 – KC 66, Lon Morris 60
Gentry Hines and Derron Hobbs combined for 39 of KC’s 66 points in a 66-60 comeback victory over Lon Morris College last Saturday in Masters Gymnasium.
Hines led all scorers with 22 points while Hobbs contributed 17 points for the Rangers. However, the Rangers had to overcome a double-digit first-half deficit to pick up the victory.
Lon Morris was firing on all cylinders early in the first half, racing to a 24-9 lead through 12 minutes of action. Jorge Redmon reached double figures for the Bearcats before KC did as a team. Redmon scored 11 of the team’s first 19 points.
Eric Mayo helped the Rangers rebound and cut LMC’s lead to single digits, 24-15. However, the Bearcats shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half and led by 13 points, 35-22, at halftime.
KC’s defense opened the second half with a comeback in mind. The Rangers limited LMC to seven total field goals the entire half. Hines and Hobbs then ignited the Ranger rally. After KC stole an inbound pass with 12:30 left in the game, Hobbs knocked down an elbow jumper to give the team its first lead of the game, 42-41.
Several minutes later, Mayo completed an alley-oop pass for a dunk that brought Masters Gym to its feet and gave the Rangers a 49-47 lead that they never relinquished.
Lon Morris had a chance to tie the game with 40 seconds, but a KC steal led to a Hines breakaway dunk that iced the game.
Mayo added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds for KC.
// Ryan Griffin, Sports Editor