KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The (RV) KCKCC men's basketball team had a double-digit lead in the second half against No. 9 Des Moines Area CC, but was unable to hold onto it as they fell in their season opener, 86-77. The Blue Devils are 0-1 to begin the year.

It was a fast-paced game the entire way as neither team grabbed a big lead in the first half. The Blue Devils grabbed their third lead of the game at 18-17 when Bradley Lightbourne made a jump shot at the 12:12 mark. Both teams traded jabs and Des Moines Area CC would go up six points at 28-22 with 7:27 left in the half. However, Joshua Dames and Trasean White ignited a run for the Blue Devils and KCKCC regained the lead at 31-30 with 6:04 left. KCKCC continued the momentum and grabbed an eight-point lead after a layup from Jaylon Moses. Isaiah Williams later knocked down a long-range shot and the Blue Devils led 47-38 at halftime.

The Blue Devils led in the second half up until the 11:22 mark. Both teams worked their way to a 61-61 tie with 8:23 to play, before White and Hudson Anderson scored three straight points for the squad. With two minutes left KCKCC trailed 78-75. But shortly after The Bears' Jaron Crews hit a three-point shot and knocked down two free throws, while Kwat Abdelkarim hit a long-range shot, eventually putting the game out of reach.

Dames and Lightbourne led the team with 19 points each, while the squad shot 43.5 percent from the field.

KCKCC returns to action this weekend when they play Iowa Western CC JV Friday at 7 p.m., and Iowa Western CC Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games are in Council Bluffs, Iowa.