OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The No. 20-ranked Johnson County men's basketball team (23-6/6-3) moved a step closer to securing a first-round bye in the Region VI playoffs with an 89-58 victory over Hesston (13-13/1-8) on Wednesday night. To secure that spot, the Cavaliers will need a win over conference champion Kansas City Kansas (16-12/8-1) in the final game of the regular season on Saturday at JCCC Gymnasium.
In the win over the Larks, Johnson County used a balanced attack as nine of the players scored between eight and 11 points on the night. The Cavaliers shot 50 percent as a team, and 44 percent from 3-point range, hitting 11-of-25 shots beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Nic Slavin came in off the bench lead Johnson County with 13 points. He hit two field goals, one from 3-point range, and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line. It marked the ninth time this season that Slavin posted double digits in points.
Freshman guard Dale Talley III and sophomore guard JaQuaylon Mays each finished with 11 points. Mays also contributed five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He leads the Kansas Jayhawk D-II Conference with 57 steals on the season. He needs just three more to move into a tie for 14th on JCCC's season chart.
Sophomore center Lukas Milner and sophomore guard Kylan Thomas followed with each pouring in 10 points. Milner was 4-of-5 with two free throws and upped his NJCAA leading season field goal percentage to 72 percent. Milner also had a team-high nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Thomas was just as affective, going 5-of-7 from the field, with four rebounds and two assists.
Other key contributions were provided by sophomore guard Macaleb Hughes (9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals), sophomore guard Jackson Nicodemus (9 points, 2 steals), sophomore forward Isiah Sears (8 points, six rebounds) and freshman guard Braijion Barnes (8 points, four rebounds).
Langston Flowers led Hesston with 16 points, followed by Reese Nebel with 12.