The North Central Missouri College women's basketball team won a first round Region 16 playoff game yesterday (Saturday) afternoon at the Ketcham Community Center, 100-75 against the Wentworth Red Dragons. The win sends the Lady Pirates into next weekend's Region 16 semifinals in Sedalia, while the Dragons end their season with a record of 5-23. NCMC is 15-14 with a home game on Tuesday night at 5:30 against John Wood to end the regular season.

North Central, in the home court victory, was led by sophomore Amanda Rodenberg with 27 points. Mysti Williams had 26, Samone Redditt 18, and Kelsey Griffin 11 points. For Wentworth, Ashlee Cole had 28 points and Carmen Depano 27.

In the region semifinal round, the #4 seeded Lady Pirates will play #1 seed Penn Valley in a Saturday semifinal at State Fair Community College. The middle seeds, St. Louis and Cottey, will play in the other semifinal. Game-times are expected to be announced early this week.

The Region 16 championship game will be played on Sunday, March 3rd, also in Sedalia.

Meanwhile the North Central men are scheduled to host John Wood at 7:30 on Tuesday (weather permitting), before preparing to head to Kansas City this weekend for the Region 16 men's basketball tournament. On Friday night, the Pirates will take on the host and top-seeded Penn Valley Scouts at 5 o'clock. The St. Louis Archers play the Wentworth Military Academy Red Dragons at 7 o'clock.The Archers (19-11) will now have to turn the page quickly, as they prepare for the opening of the Region XVI Tournament Friday at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley. The championship game will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at the A. Fred Pohlman Fieldhouse in Kansas City.