Pirate's basketball lost a heartbreaker in the Region 16 Championship on Saturday, falling 67-64 to host St. Louis CC. The 11th ranked Pirates finish with a 25-6 record and an outstanding overall season.
NCMC simply didn't knock down enough shots on Saturday to secure victory. As a team, the Pirates shot 39.0% from the field and only netted 5-17 from beyond the arc.
Tyler King emerged as the scoring leader for NCMC, amassing an impressive 24 points. His ability to connect from long range, going 4-for-7 from three-point land, provided a crucial offensive boost. King's well-rounded performance also included 9 rebounds, contributing significantly to the team's efforts on the boards.
Giovanni Mack faced a challenging night from beyond the arc (0-5) but compensated with his scoring in other facets of the game. Mack's 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists highlighted his versatility and determination to impact the game positively.
Isaiah Reams, the team's second leading scorer for the season, could only muster 5 points on 2-5 shooting. His unusually low scoring output was a testament to the defensive pressure the victorious Archers were able to use to slow the high-powered Pirates.
The reserves tried to do their part to help the starters, with Jon Carroll providing an offensive spark off the bench, contributing 8 points and 6 rebounds. He went 3-10 from the field in the game. Jakorie Terrill and Khalil Screen added valuable points, while Mikey Thomas and Jamaal Davis contributed to the team's defensive efforts.
The game's intensity was evident in the free throw shooting, with North Central knocking in 10-17 from the charity stripe.
In postgame ceremonies, Tyler King was named Region 16 Player of the Year, Isaiah Reams earned 1st Team All-Region and Giovanni Mack garnered 2nd Team All-Region status.