'Hound women can still earn home playoff game

HIGHLAND -- Despite losing to No. 8 Highland here Saturday by a score of 81-66, Fort Scott Community College's women still have a chance to host a first-round playoff game in the Region VI-Division II post-season tournament. A complicated tie-breaker gives an edge to the Greyhounds if they can beat Brown Mackie tonight and Kansas City Kansas loses to Jayhawk Conference-Division II leader Johnson County.

However the tie-breaker comes out, it will determine where a first-round match between KCK and Fort Scott will be played. Neither can finish higher than fourth nor lower than fifth in the region.

First, the game. The Greyhounds (1-7 conference, 4-7 region, 16-8 overall) had a chance for an upset over the Scotties, leading 15-12 after one period and 37-25 at halftime. But Highland (5-2, 9-2, 26-3), fighting Labette for a first-round tournament bye, outscored Fort Scott in the second half, 56-29.

Yazmin Batch scored 12 points off the bench to lead Fort Scott. Jameka Dowell made 9 of 11 shots from the field in leading Highland with 25 points. Mariane Carvalho added 21 for thr Scotties and Blaize Burgess chipped in with 15.

Now to the playoff scenario. The top two seeds receive first-round byes and will host second-round games. The third and fourth seeds host first-round games against the fifth and sixth seeds. And the No. 7 seed will not qualify for the playoffs.

Although Fort Scott is a game behind Kansas City (2-6, 5-6, 17-12) for the No. 4 seed, the Greyhounds have an advantage in the third tie-breaker step.

If Fort Scott beats Brown Mackie and KCK loses to Johnson County, the 'Hounds and Blue Devils will both be 5-7 in the region. The first tie-breaker is head to head but the teams split the season series. The second step is both teams' record against the top seed. Fort Scott is 0-2 versus Johnson County and KCK will also be 0-2 if they lose tonight. Both teams are also 0-2 versus both Highland and Labette.

That leaves tie-breaker step three, which is a "power" tie-breaker based on each team's schedule. Teams get 4 points for beating an NJCAA Division I team, 3 for beating a Division II team, 2 for losing to a Division I team and one for beating prep schools or four-year school's JV teams. Fort Scott, by virtue of winning three games versus Division I competition during their school-record 11-0 start to the season, have 47 points under this system. KCK, with just one win in three games versus D-I schools, have only 42 points.

Either Brown Mackie or Hesston, who have only beaten each other in region play, will be the No. 6 seed. Which team gets that seed will likely end up being determined by the same tie-breaker. If that somehow comes out even, then the playoff berth will be determined by a coin toss.

Tonight's Brown Mackie-Fort Scott game tips off at 5:30 p.m. In Arnold Arena. The Johnson County-KCK game will be played at Kansas City.

FORT SCOTT: Holtgrave 0-2 0-0 0, Ready 3-10 0-0 6, Newquist 2-4 0-0 4, Walters 2-6 0-0 5, Bohannon 2-4 3-3 7, Danzer 3-5 2-2 9, Batch 3-8 4-5 12, Spurling 1-2 4-4 7, Robinson 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 3-4 2-2 8, Kelley 3-5 2-2 8. TOTALS: 22-50 17-18 66.

HIGHLAND: Vokov 4-8 0-0 9, Carvalho 9-19 0-0 21, Dowell 9-11 5-5 25, Viscardi 1-3 0-0 3, Burgess 5-11 1-2 15, Wilson 1-1 0-0 3, Simmons 1-5 0-0 3, Cook 1-2 0-0 2, Blackburn 0-2 0-0 0, Claiborne 0-1 0-0 0, McDonald 0-3 0-0 0. TOTALS: 31-66 6-7 81.

Highland.. 12 13 29 27 -- 81

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 5-16 (Batch 2-6, Spurling 1-1, Danzer 1-2, Walters 1-3, Holtgrave 0-1, Ready 0-3), Highland 13-33 (Burgess 4-7, Carvalho 3-8, Dowell 2-4, Wilson 1-1, Vukov 1-3, Viscardi 1-3, Simmons 1-5, Cook 0-1, Blackburn 0-1).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 18, Highland 26. Fouled out: Viscardi.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 26 (Walters 5, Bohannon 5), Highland 28 (Vukov 7). Assists: Fort Scott 12 (Batch 4), Highland 20 (Vukov 6). Turnovers: Fort Scott 23, Highland 15. Steals: Fort Scott 5 (Ready 2), Highland 14 (3 with 3 each). Blocked shots: Fort Scott 1 (Moore), Highland none.