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By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

With three wins in their last four starts, Kansas City Kansas Community College basketball teams will have momentum on their side as they head into the last 2½ weeks of the Jayhawk Conference basketball season.

An impressive 88-66 win at Neosho County Saturday made it three in a row on the road for the Blue Devil men while the Lady Blue Devils followed up an exciting come-from-behind 79-75 at Neosho with a 74-57  win over Saint Mary JV at Leavenworth Monday night.

At 14-10, the Lady Blue Devils are closing in on their first winning season under Coach Valerie Stambersky while the Blue Devil men (18-6) are within reach of their third 20-win season in the last five campaigns.

KCKCC will close out its road season with games at Allen County Saturday night and Independence Wednesday night before finishing with three in a row at home against Johnson County Feb. 20, Cowley County Feb. 24 and Fort Scott Feb. 27.

The Blue Devils got big performances from all five starters as they avenged an earlier 64-59 loss at Neosho. Derick Denny had 22 points including six three-pointers, Scott Fruehling a career high six three-pointers and 18 points and Andre Metoyer 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting to lead the scoring. Dennis Tinnon led rebounding with 16 along with 13 points for his seventh double in his last eight games and Melvin Gatson had nine assists and nine points.

The win came on the heels of an 81-62 win at Labette on Wednesday as Denny had 19 points, Metoyer 15 and 8 rebounds, Gatson 14 points and 5 assists, Jonathan Wright 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting and Tinnon 9 points and 10 rebounds.

The KCKCC women staged their biggest comeback of the season at Neosho Saturday. Trailing 47-37 at the half, the Lady Blue Devils shot 57.7 percent in a 42-28 second half.

Freshman Melanie Phipps of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, had a career high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting to lead the way. Alyssa Rushton added 14 points, Shannon Carlin 10 points and 4 assists and Laci Schreiber a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Rushton led the way in the 74-57 win at Saint Mary with 22 points while Carlin added 10, Annie Rowan 9 and Phipps 8 while Schreiber again led the rebounding.