KC sweeps AC
JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

THEY WON! - Kilgore College's Denetra Kellum (32, right) goes up for a basket against Angelina College. KC's basketball programs won both games against AC, and visit Trinity Valley on Wednesday night. Both KC teams are trying to work their way back into conference tournament contention.

For the Kilgore College basketball programs, Saturday's doubleheader here at Masters Gym against Angelina College was a pair of statement games.

The statements, in this case: Don't write us off just yet.

Both KC teams scored wins over their Angelina rivals on Saturday afternoon - coach Scott Schumacher's Runnin' Rangers beat Angelina, 77-62, and prior to that, coach Roy Thomas' Lady Rangers handed the Lady Runners an 86-67 loss.

And both coaches know their teams have their backs against the wall. The Lady Rangers have just six games to play their way into the top six teams (only the top six ladies teams make it to the Region XIV Conference tournament), and the men have seven, and have to finish in the conference's top eight.

Both conference tournaments are going to be here at Masters Gym, the weekend of March 7-10.

The road back into tournament contention for both KC teams resumes on Wednesday night at Athens, and it won't be easy, with both facing Trinity Valley. The ladies game will tip off at 5:30 p.m., and the men will follow, likely around 7:30. Hear it live on KZQX 105.3-FM, or on the internet at tsrnsports.com, the Texas Sports Radio Network.

• KC 77, Angelina 62 (men): Maurice Foster, a freshman from New Orleans, played like a man obsessed on Saturday against Angelina. Foster had 16 points in leading the Rangers to their fifth conference win of the season. Another player who stepped up big for KC, and has all season long, was Virginia freshman Ridge McKeither. McKeither had 18 points in the win, and Brandon Roberson, a rare sophomore, had 15. Ervin Spuriel had 18 points for the Roadrunners. KC is now 13-10 overall, 5-10 in conference play.

• KC 86, Angelina 67 (women): This game can be summed up quickly: It seemed like every time Angelina made a play, KC made two.

In doing so, the Lady Rangers finally stopped their losing streak, which had reached six. Angelina came into the game with just three losses in conference play, so coach Thomas and his Lady Rangers know they can not only play with the conference's best, but when they give a good effort, they can beat the conference's best.

KC moves to .500 overall (10-10) and is now 4-8 in the conference schedule. Their next opponent, Trinity Valley, has ruled the women's side of the conference for the last several years, much like KC did before them, and TVCC is ranked No. 17 in the latest national poll of women's junior college basketball teams.

For KC, Houston sophomore Nakazi Glover scored 25. Jo Petrovic had 10 points, and Orange freshman Janae Henderson scored 12. Denetra Kellum, a freshman from Kirbyville, also had 12, and teammate Syliva Hoffman, a freshman from Arlington, had 13.

Kendra Venzant added nine points and had eight assists for the Lady Rangers. Desiree Waller led Angelina with 16 points.