NEWCOMERS LEAD WAY IN LADY BLUE DEVILS OPENING 96-38 WIN

                With seven returnees from last year's 24-win team, veterans were expected to carry most of Kansas City Kansas Community College's offensive load in 2014-15.

            Instead, it was bevy of newcomers who led the way in an opening 96-38 win over outmanned Missouri Valley's JV in the Lady Blue Devils' season opener Tuesday night.

            Five Blue Devils scored in double figures, four of them newcomers. Freshman Sierra Roberts, a 5-8 guard from SM South, led the scoring with 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting while 5-11 forward Cheyenne North of Gallatin, Tenn., had a double double in her college debut, a game high 12 rebounds and 10 points.

Sophomore transfers Cierra Gaines and Erin Anderson who were high school teammates at Edwardsville High outside St. Louis, added 16 and 11 points, respectively, while veterans Cassidy Harbert of Wichita Northwest added 10 points and five assists and Janai Mitchell of Salina South 8 points. Harbert and Anderson also had eight rebounds each and Gaines six as KCKCC controlled the boards 52-32.

 Eleven players scored for the Blue Devils, who knocked down 11 threes including three each by Roberts and Gaines and two by freshman Janay Jacobs of Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmal.

Defensively, the lightning quick Blue Devils forced 35 turnovers with Harbert and Roberts leading with six and five steals, respectively. KCKCC raced to a 26-2 lead before the Vikings scored only their second field goal with 6:15 left in the half.

KCKCC returns to action at North Central Missouri Saturday at 2 p.m. before hosting Ellsworth and Penn Valley in the annual Keith Lindsey Classic Nov. 14-15.