No. 2 Eagles thump No. 1 Kansas City
It was a beat-down.
The second-ranked Kirkwood Eagles scored the first 19 points of the game and dumped top-ranked Kansas City, 70-50, in the second round of the Kirkwood Classic at Johnson Hall.
The Eagles (4-0) blanked Kansas City for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game while grabbing their 19-0 advantage.
Kirkwood built a 24-point lead at 38-14 midway through the second quarter. Kansas City rallied and pulled within 10 points at halftime, 44-34, but the Eagles outscored Kansas City 26-16 in the second half for the comfortable 20-point victory.
Amara Lipsey and Marissa Metz scored 11 points apiece in a balanced attack for Kirkwood. Paige Bradford, Ju Gaston, and Natalie Tomaszewski contributed 10 points apiece as five Eagles reached double figures.
Bradford grabbed nine rebounds and made four steals. Kirkwood pounded Kansas City on the backboards, 47-33.
Kamryn Estell led Kansas City with 14 points. Kansas City launched 44 3-pointers in the 40-minute game and made nine for 20.5 percent.
KANSAS CITY (50): Brodi Byrd 3-16 1-2 9, Aliyah Myers 1-9 0-0 3, Mercer Roberts 2-7 0-0 6, Destiny Zamudio 1-3 0-0 3, Kamryn Estell 5-10 4-9 14, Diamond Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Tiaira Earnest 3-6 0-0 8, Jada Mayberry 0-4 0-0 0, Adoreya Williams 2-8 0-0 5, Alieyya Jones 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 18-66 5-11 50.
KIRKWOOD (70): Paige Bradford 5-12 0-0 10, Tatiana Hodges-Johnson 2-6 0-0 4, Ju Gaston 4-8 0-0 10, Amara Lipsey 3-8 2-2 11, Marissa Metz 4-7 2-4 11, Delani Harris 1-4 2-2, Jheda Kennedy 0-7 0-0 0, Kortney Drake 0-1 1-2 1, Natalie Tomaszewski 3-8 3-4 10, Kemara Watson 4-7 0-0 8. Totals 26-68 10-14 70.
Halftime - Kirkwood 44, Kansas City 34. 3-point goals - Kansas City 9-44 (Earnest 2-5, Roberts 2-7, Byrd 2-11, Zamudio 1-3, A.Williams 1-6, Myers 1-7, Estell 0-1, Mayberry 0-4), Kirkwood 8-24 (Lipsey 3-6, Gaston 2-4, Tomaszewski 1-2, Harris 1-3, Metz 1-3, Drake 0-1, Bradford 0-2, Kennedy 0-3).
