Rangers beat Cedar Valley in opener

FACE OFF — Kilgore College sophomore Jonathan Phelps (5), from Vicksburg, Miss., goes for the ball against Cedar Valley’s Tedrick Urune. Phelps and the Rangers beat Cedar, 71-64, on Sunday in the 2009-10 season opener. The Rangers are home again tonight, hosting an SFA club team. Sunday isn’t exactly a typical regular basketball day here for the Kilgore College basketball programs, but the Rangers did perform well in their season opening win.

Kilgore College defeated Cedar Valley, 71-64, on Sunday afternoon, their first of three home games this week. The Rangers are back home tonight, actually, against a club team from Stephen F. Austin University, a 7 p.m. start, and play again at home Saturday at 4 p.m. against Shorter College. The Saturday game against Shorter is the second half of a doubleheader; coach Roy Thomas’ Lady Rangers officially open the season against Shorter here Saturday at 2.

Against Cedar, the Rangers had a tough time early on, but settled down before the half and trailed by just two, 36-34, at the break.

Chris Johnson, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard from North Preston, Nova Scotia and one of the few players back from last season, dropped 31 on Cedar in the win. The Rangers might have been cold early but finished an impressive 45 percent from the floor, hitting 27 of the 60 shots taken. KC hit three of the 15 three-point shots it took, and outrebounded Cedar, 36-32.

It’s the second season for coach Brian Hoberecht at KC.

Starting for the Rangers in the game were Johnson, St. Louis sophomore Derron Hobbs, sophomore Jonathan Phelps of Vicksburg, Miss., Detroit, Mich., freshman Derian Shaffer, and Chris Angsomwine, a 6-9 sophomore forward from Ghana.

Dane Smith, a sophomore guard from Toronto, came off the bench for 12 points. Hobbs had nine, and ERic Mayo, a freshman from Shelby, N.C., had seven.

The Rangers hope to tune up well before they begin Region XIV Conference play late this month. KC made the conference tournament last season, but lost to Navarro in the first round.

The Lady Rangers have just the one home game — Saturday’s opener against Shorter — early on, playing the next six on the road. Coach Thomas would love to do even better than their 23-7 record last season. KC made a statement at the end, rallying in the conference tournament before losing to Trinity Valley in the championship game.