The Kaskaskia College Blue Angels are off to a strong start and will finally get the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd this week after picking up a road victory over Shawnee Community College on Saturday.
Kaskaskia used a strong first half to take control of the contest, knocking off Shawnee 57-42. The Blue Angels put together a 14-0 run in the opening quarter to establish an early advantage and carried that momentum throughout the afternoon.
KC took a commanding 37-15 lead into halftime and continued to build on it, extending the margin to 50-27 heading into the fourth quarter before closing out the 15-point victory.
Freshman center Hailey Mitchell, a product of West Carroll High School in Tennessee, provided a big lift off the bench, finishing with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.
The Blue Angels also received balanced contributions from a pair of area players. Dieterich native Kady Tegeler finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Centralia graduate Jamayah Wallace added seven rebounds. Kylie Osteen of Altamont chipped in 10 points.
Massac County graduate Kenna Hight led Shawnee with 13 points.
The win sets up an important week for Kaskaskia, which will play its first home game of the season on Wednesday when the Blue Angels welcome Olney Central College to Centralia.
The matchup will have a little extra local interest for Salem basketball fans, as former Salem Lady Wildcat Emma Gregg is now part of the Olney Central program. Sandoval grad Amiya Ray will also play. It will give area fans an opportunity to follow more familiar faces as they take the floor against Kaskaskia.
Wednesday’s game can be heard on WJBD Radio or watched on the KC Fan Hudl Page.
For the Blue Angels, the goal will be to carry the defensive intensity and balanced scoring from Saturday’s victory into their home opener while giving their fans an opportunity to see the team in action.
