The North Central Missouri College men's basketball team has won FOUR games in a row, including two in a row at home against their biggest region rivals. On Wednesday night at the Ketcham Community Center, the Pirates played consistently strong basketball in defeating the visiting Penn Valley Scouts by a score of 88-73.

The win pushes North Central's overall record to above .500 (at 9-8), with their Region XVI record now 2-1, with a season split with Penn Valley, and Saturday's home win over St. Louis.

Sophomores led the Pirates charge on Wednesday night, with Reggie Maxwell scoring 25 points and Marshon Norfleet 21 for NCMC. Darreon Parker added 11 points to the winning cause (including a trio of three point shots). Penn Valley, in falling to 12-8 overall, and 1-1 in Region XVI, was paced by 24 points from Erin Jones (including five three pointers), 14 each from Rocky Benson and John Brown, and 11 points from Derrick Williams.

The news was not as good for the Lady Pirates, who ran into a hot shooting Penn Valley team, fell behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, and fell to the visiting Lady Scouts by a score of 95-78. The loss continues the frustration in Region XVI play for the North Central women, who have now been swept in regular season play by Penn Valley, in addition to Saturday's one point, double overtime loss to St. Louis. North Central's women sit at 8-12 overall, and 0-3 in Region XVI competition.

Sophomore center Janairrika Bland led Penn Valley in the win with 27 points, with guard Kayla Talbert adding 13. Voneisha Harris, a transfer from State Fair Community College, had 19 points, and Danielle Robertson 13 for the Scouts, now 10-6 on the season, and a perfect 3-0 in Region XVI play. Penn Valley won at Cottey College last week by 20 points.

North Central was paced by 23 points from sophomore forward Amanda Rodenberg, 16 from freshman guard Samone Redditt, 14 from sophomore guard Kelsey Griffin, and 12 points from sophomore center Mysti Williams.

The NCMC squads have the weekend off, and will return to the court on Monday, January 28th, hosting the Missouri Valley College JV squads in a 5:30/7:30 doubleheader from the Ketcham Community Center. The next NCMC broadcasts on Hot Country Z 101.7 will be, for the women, on Wednesday, January 30th, hosting Cottey College at 5:30, and, for the men, on Saturday, February 2nd, hosting North Arkansas at 4 o'clock. That game for the Pirate men will follow high school girl's games at the Ketcham Center, with the Lafayette Fighting Irish playing the Trenton Lady Bulldogs, with a JV game at 1 o'clock, and a varsity showdown at 2:00.

Last night's (Wednesday) games were shown LIVE on 'Internet TV', and they can be viewed now from the 'Internet TV' link from www.kgozfm.com!