Rangers win third straight; conference play Saturday

The Kilgore College basketball programs open Region XIV Conference play tomorrow at home, and probably couldn't ask to be playing any better.

Coach Brian Hoberecht's Rangers won their third straight game on Thursday night, beating visiting Southwest Christian College (of Terrell), 84-77.

The Rangers (4-5) host Panola College on Saturday to open the conference schedule — the men's game is the second half of a doubleheader. The KC Lady Rangers, coached by Roy Thomas, will tip off against Panola at 2 p.m., with the men to follow.

The Lady Rangers last played Tuesday night, beating McLennan in Waco, and are 6-0.

The Rangers had a see-saw battle against Southwest Christian Thursday night, a Southwest Christian team that came to play. Southwest trailed 39-35 at the half, but a three-pointer by Southwest's Brandon Davis with 12:51 remaining put the Rams in front by one, 52-51.

They couldn't extend the lead, however. KC managed to stay right with them, never trailing by more than four. The Rangers took the lead back on a threepointer by Chris Johnson, and claimed the lead for good at the seven-minute mark on a bucket by Paulo DaCruz, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Rams stayed within striking distance, but Johnson, a freshman guard from Toronto, Canada, hit a basket with 2:15 left that put KC up by five, 76-71, and then Raliegh, N.C. native La'Marshall Corbett sank two free throws that put the Rangers up by seven, 78-71, effectively putting the game out of reach.

KC was led by Troy Cage, a sophomore guard from Baton Rouge, with 15 points. Johnson and big center Sonny Soloman of West Palm Beach, Fla., each had 14, and Dexter Dorsey, the freshman point guard from Baltimore, Md., had 12. DaCruz finished with nine. He had 12 rebounds. Cage had 14.

As a team, the Rangers shot 31-of-65 from the field, right at 47 percent.

Following the Saturday games against Panola, KC's women host San Jacinto on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., and the men visit Navarro in Corsicana on Tuesday, a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.