Submitted

Despite an efficient shooting night and a stellar performance from James Porter III, North Central Missouri College came up just short in a 74–70 loss to Kansas City Kansas Community College on Saturday. The loss drops 11th ranked NCMC’s record to 12-3 heading into the semester break.

Porter III delivered an outstanding performance to lead the Pirates, pouring in a game-high 27 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting from the field. Porter was a consistent presence in the paint, added four rebounds, and did not commit a turnover while logging 38 minutes.

Camden Bennett also provided a major scoring boost, finishing with 19 points while going 6-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. Bennett added four rebounds and helped keep the Pirates within striking distance throughout the contest.

Camden Brown contributed across multiple areas with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Grant Redd added five points and a team-high three steals in 22 minutes. Deng Gak anchored the interior defensively, pulling down seven rebounds but only managed two points in the game.

Off the bench, Talan Holt knocked down a key three-pointer, and Kalen Streit added two points in limited action as NCMC battled until the final seconds.

The Pirates shot 50 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line, but were unable to overcome KCKCC’s hot shooting from beyond the arc. NCMC will look to build on its offensive efficiency as it prepares for its next outing after the first of the year against highly ranked Johnson County CC.