Both CCC basketball teams came away with big victories to start the season, with the women defeating Oklahoma Wesleyan JV 80-23 and the men defeating Fort Scott 87-60.

 

The women's game wasn't close for any amount of time, as Coffeyville jumped out to a 20-2 lead by the end of the 1st quarter. While the Eagles fought back at times, the Ravens were just too big and too quick for the JV squad to handle. Coffeyville controlled the post, with both returning starter Faith Simpson and newcomers Kionce Woods and Cheyenne Banks also adding extra height inside. After a rather balanced third quarter, the Ravens again held OKWU's JV to just 2 total points in the 4th quarter, eventually claiming a rather simple 57-point victory.

 

Amiya Josey led all Ravens scorers with 11, but 13 out of 14 Ravens scored at least 2 points during the game. Simpson also put up a solid performance, scoring 8 and bringing in a team leading 9 rebounds.

 

The men's game saw two teams looking to up the pressure early. Both teams started out in a full court press, and for a time, the Greyhounds kept up with the defending national champions. However, with the score tied up at 25, Coffeyville took a lead they never gave up, rolling off a 15-2 run before halftime to take a 40-27 lead. Out of the locker rooms, Coffeyville continued, to keep themselves under control, never giving into the extra pressure. The lead steadily increased, eventually coming to rest at 27 as the Ravens took their season-opening victory.

 

UNC-Asheville (NCAA DI) transfer AJ McBride impressed in his first game as a Raven, scoring 19 on 6-of-9 shooting. Other double digit scorers included Las Vegas freshman Dayshawn Wiley (16), returning starter Love Bettis (14), and Western Texas (NJCAA) transfer Deng Mayar (14).

 

The men will be in action again on Tuesday, going on a long road trip to face Missouri State-West Plains in a non-conference matchup. The women will play next in the Indy Classic, this coming Thursday and Friday.