The longest road trip of the Jayhawk East Conference season got a little longer for Kansas City Kansas Community College basketball teams Wednesday as they dropped a doubleheader at perennial power Cowley County in Arkansas City.

   The Cowley men used a big second half for a 68-55 win while the Lady Tigers showed no mercy in running up a 92-39 victory. The losses left both KCKCC teams in sixth place in the East, the men (16-5) at 4-5 and the women (12-9) at 3-6.

   Both teams stay on the road Saturday as the second round of the conference season gets under way at Allen County (6 and 8 p.m.) before Johnson County comes to KCKCC Wednesday and Highland a week from Saturday.

   The Blue Devil men trailed just 32-26 at halftime of the nightcap but could never quite contain Cowley’s 6-7 duo of Kamren Belin and Curtis Evans, who combined for 34 points and 16 rebounds in helping the Tigers (16-5) tighten their hold on second place in the East at 6-3. Fouls and free throws continued to plague the Blue Devils, who were just 3 of 9 from the free throw line while Cowley was 16 of 22. KCKCC actually had one more field goal and shot slightly better from the field but committed 19 turnovers.

   Mylin Jordan was the only Blue Devil in double figures, scoring 11 points in 15 minutes. Brandon Morris added nine points, six assists and five rebounds while Duane Smith, Kalvin Balque and Josh Rupprecht added eight points each.  Zach Bush had seven rebounds and Duke Ezeamii six as KCKCC battled the Tigers to a draw 38-38.

   Using a pressing defense almost from start to finish, the Cowley women forced 34 turnovers in improving to 15-6 and 6-3 in the league. Shooting a torrid 63.2 percent, Cowley built a 58-18 halftime lead. Mikenna Greathouse led KCKCC with 12 points and six rebounds while Kayla Crowley added 10 points and Nage Umutlu eight.

   Alan Hoskins is the public information supervisor for KCKCC.