October 3, 2024

KC BASKETBALL WILL RETURN SOON | Lady Rangers back Jan. 1; men come back with conference game

Kilgore College basketball is on a bit of a sabbatical – it’s called “December.”

The Rangers and Lady Rangers won’t be back until January, but when they do come back, they’ll be very busy.

Coach Robert Byrd’ Rangers jump right back into their Region XIV Conference schedule, when they do return, hosting Victoria College on Saturday, Jan. 6, a 4 p.m. tip-off. The Rangers go to Lee College the following Wednesday, Jan. 10, then are back home to host Angelina College on Jan. 13.

KC got their all-important first conference win right before the break, and they’re 1-2 in conference play. The Rangers play in the North Zone, and the Rangers are part of a large group of teams that are all 1-2: KC, Tyler, Paris, and Bossier Parish. Panola and Navarro are 2-1, and Trinity Valley is 3-0.

Victoria is in the South Zone, and is 1-2, along with Angelina, Coastal Bend, and Lamar State-Port Arthur. Lee is 3-0, and Jacksonville is 0-3. When the Rangers see Victoria, they’ll face Kalen White, who leads the conference in scoring – White averages 20.6 points per game.

The Rangers are 10-4 overall, in Byrd’s first year. They’re 4-2 at home, 3-1 on the road and 3-1 in neutral-site games this season.

KC averages 50 percent overall shooting this season, is hitting 38 percent of its three-point shots, and 70 percent of its free throws (they’ve taken 312 of them, and hit 219).

Sophomore guard Jamil Muttilib leads the Rangers in scoring with 19.4 points a game through their 14 games. Willie Williams has played in one less game, but is averaging 14.3 a game for KC.

The Lady Rangers are 6-6 and had won a pair of games before losing their last one to Seward County (Kan.) in their Christmas Classic tournament in Liberal, Kan., right before the break.

In that one, Jazmyn Sostand scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds for the Lady Rangers, leading them in scoring off the bench. BryKayla Hampton had 16 points, three rebounds, two blocked shots, an assist and a steal. Nyla Inmon had 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.

Jarahle Daniels had eight points, two rebounds, and an assist; Tylissa Henderson had six points, five rebounds, and three steals; and Nakiyah Allen had three points and three rebounds.

Before that loss, KC had beaten Midland in a true road game, 66-61, and routed Otero College in the first game at Seward’s Christmas tournament, 73-53.

Daniels and Hampton each scored 15 in the win at Midland, and Hampton and Inmon each had 18 in the big win over Otero.

The Lady Rangers jump back into action on day one of the new year. They’ll host the Evelyn Blalock Women’s Basketball Tournament, a memorial tournament paying tribute to the founder of the women’s basketball program here at KC, the legendary national championship-winning coach.

Day one of the tournament has Panola College facing Hill College at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1. Tyler Junior College fill face McLennan at 3 p.m. that day, and KC has the final game, taking on Arkansas Cossatot at 5.

On Tuesday, Jan. 2, Panola faces Cossatot at 11 a.m., TJC takes on Hill at 1, and KC faces McLennan at 3.

All of those games will be broadcast live by longtime KC sports broadcaster Manny Almanza here: youtube.com/@kilgorecollege1935.

The Lady Rangers haven’t begun their conference schedule yet, and none of their conference rivals have, either. There are only nine teams in the conference this year: KC, Trinity Valley, Tyler, Blinn, Angelina, Panola, Paris, Coastal Bend, and Jacksonville.

KC will begin the conference schedule at Angelina on Jan. 10, and then Coastal Bend comes here to Masters Gym on Saturday, Jan. 13.

The Lady Rangers shoot 40 percent from the floor, 30 percent from three-point range and just under 72 percent from the free throw line.

Hampton has scored 159 points this season – she averages 13.2 points a game, and leads the team. Nakiyah Allen has scored 148, and is averaging 12.3 a game.

Kilgore College’s Jamil Muttilib (above), a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Houston, goes to the hoop during warm-ups before a recent game. Muttilib leads the Rangers in scoring. KC (10-4) is off for now, as are the Lady Rangers, for the holidays. The Lady Rangers come back with the Evelyn Blalock Tournament on Jan. 1-2, and the Rangers host Victoria on Jan. 6. (Photo by ALEX NABOR – ETBLITZ.COM)

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