Pirates basketball started off 2022 with a nice home win over John Wood CC 85-73 on Saturday despite a sluggish start in the first half. NCMC trailed the Blazers 40-33 at the break before asserting themselves in the second half. The contest was the first for Coach Esry's team since a pair of close defeats in the Pinnacle Bank Thanksgiving Classic back in late November.
Sophomore Kolten Griffin was the catalyst to the win, pouring in 25 points on 11-17 shooting. Fellow sophomore Mack Anderson came off the bench for a nice game as well, totaling 17 points and pulling down a team high 12 rebounds.
Next action for the 6-7 Pirates is a road matchup at Kansas City Kansas CC on Monday. The Pirates defeated the Blue Devils at the beginning of the season 98-80, a game which marked Esry's 100th career win.