Coffeyville got some revenge over its biggest rival, taking two games back from Independence on Monday. The women won their contest 68-59, while the men dominated their opponent 102-74.
The women's game featured very little scoring at the outset, with Coffeyville not scoring from the field until just over seven minutes into the first quarter. Independence didn't fare much better, although they would open up the game on an 8-0 run. The Red Ravens would eventually pick it up a bit, but that didn't keep the Pirates from taking a 7-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Coffeyville would return the favor a bit in the second quarter, closing the gap to trail by just 4 into the locker rooms. After a rather uneventful third quarter, in which Coffeyville would finally take its first lead of the game, the fourth quarter would see most of the fireworks. Independence immediately opened the quarter up on a 10-0 run, taking a 9-point lead and putting the Ravens on the ropes. However, Coffeyville would respond in kind, going on a 10-0 run of their own capped by Faith Simpson to jump back out in front. The Ravens and Pirates would continue to trade blows for the next few minutes, but Paige Scott would find her first three to put the lead out to seven. Coffeyville would eventually take the 9-point victory for themselves.
Faith Simpson led all scorers with 23, and picked up the double-double with 11 rebounds. KK Lay finished with 11, and Martina Aeschliman finished with 10 points as well. The Red Raven women improve to 13-6 on the season and 12-6 in Jayhawk Conference play, stopping a 2-game losing skid.
Afterward, the men's game got started, with two teams looking to prove themselves to each other. The opening few minutes saw both teams play fast and furious, and for the first time in awhile, a large student section helped make the gym feel more normal than usual. However, much like the Pirates had used their home crowd to their advantage, it seemed as if the Ravens felt more comfortable playing at Nellis Hall, and they played like it. The team would open up a 13-point lead by halftime, with Love Bettis adding the exclamation point right before the half. The second half saw the rise of Markeith Browning, who had to sit out most of the first half with two personal fouls. Playing on his birthday, Browning put together perhaps his best half of the season, shooting 5-5 from the field (4-4 2FG, 1-1 3FG) and gathering 13 points total. His efforts would help open up a lead that was just too big for the Pirates to overcome. The Red Ravens would eventually reach triple-digits, and picked up their 19th victory over their Montgomery County counterparts, 102-74.
Tylor Perry had another monster peformance, reaching 24 points for the second straight game. Bettis would add 19, and Browning finished with those 13 points. Other Red Ravens in double digits included Bostyn Holt (13), Hayden Brittingham (12), and Kevaughn Ellis (11). Coffeyville's men improve to 19-2 on the season and 17-2 in conference play.
Both teams will finish off their regular season on Wednesday with their rematch against the Butler Grizzlies. Tip-off for the women's game is set for 5:30 pm, with pregame starting at 5:15 on 98.1, KUSN.
