SFCC Roadrunners Edge Blazers For The Win

The State Fair Community College (SFCC) Roadrunners opened their season in the McDonald's Classic on Friday with a come-from-behind victory over the 14th ranked team in the NJCAA Division II Preseason rankings, the John Wood Community College (JWCC) Blazers, 70-69.

The contest featured 10 lead changes and 13 ties.

The Roadrunners found themselves trailing by one point in the closing seconds, when freshman forward Kohen Thompson of Memphis, Tennessee stepped to the free-throw line and knocked down a pair of big free throws. The Blazers had two shots on their final possession but missed both.

"They (JWCC) had their chance to win the game, but so did we," said Roadrunners Head Coach Matt Brown. "We had this problem throughout the preseason where we would get a big lead and then squander it, but we are still learning. We need to work on stretching our leads. John Wood is a really good team."

Sophomore guard Damaria Franklin of Chicago, Illinois led three Roadrunners in double figures with 27 points. Sophomore guard Kailleb Walton-Blanden of Rapid City, South Dakota contributed 16 points. Freshman forward Lual Akot of Ottawa, Canada added 13 points, four assists (a team high) and two steals. Redshirt freshman forward Sarion McGee of Milwaukee, Wisconsin pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.

--David Rohrbach, SFCC Athletics