OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The No. 6-ranked Johnson County Community College men's basketball team is just one victory away from qualifying for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament for sixth time in team history. The Cavaliers were national champions in 2001 and 2009.
Johnson County (27-4) punched their ticket to the Region VI title game with an 86-72 win over Labette Community College on Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers built a 13-point lead at halftime, then cruised to the 14-point victory.
All five starters and one bench player provided all of the Cavaliers' 86 points, each finishing in double figures. JCCC shot 55 percent from the field.
Sophomore forward David Turner, last week's KJCCC D-II Player of the Week, led the Cavaliers with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked five shots. With his five blocked shots, Turner became the new season record holder with 85, and upped his career total to 146, five shy of the career mark at JCCC. His 85 blocks rank second in the NJCAA.
Turner is also on pace to post one of the top shooting percentages in team history. On Saturday, He made 6-of-9 shots, improving his season percentage to 65.2, eighth-best nationally and currently third in team history.
Sophomore guard Nick Larkin led all scorers with 21 points. He was 6-of-11 with two 3-pointers and a perfect 7-of-7 at the line. He also dished out eight assists and grabbed six rebounds.
Sophomore guard General Williams knocked down five treys to finish with 15 points. Freshman JaQuaylan Mays provided 12 points and seven boards. Sophomore Xavier Womack finished with 11 points and seven rebounds and sophomore guard A.J. Pleasant contributed 10 points.
Johnson County will face conference co-champ Highland Community College in the Region VI D-II Championship Game, 7 p.m., Tuesday March 5, at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. This will be head coach Mike Jeffers and his team's 13th appearance in the championship game since 2000, and are 9-3 when playing for the title.
This will be the third time Johnson County and Highland have met title game. Highland won the first meeting in 2011, and the Cavaliers prevailed in 2017.
Cavaliers fans can catch the game live on the KJCCC Sports Network, or listen to all the action live on 1660 The Score, or download the 1660 The Score app and listen on your mobile device or tablet.