Kirkwood Womens Basketball

No. 1 Eagles spank No. 5 Parkland

The difference between the No. 1 team in the country and the No. 5  team was a whopping 38 points Friday night.

The top-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team walloped fifth-ranked  Parkland, 78-40, in the opening round of the Kirkwood Classic at  Johnson Hall with stifling defense and a deep bench.

The Eagles punished Parkland, 20-2, in the second quarter and built a  pair of 45-point leads in the second half.

"I think we wore them down," said Kirkwood Coach Kim Muhl. "They were  getting looks, but they were just too tired to shoot them."

Muhl used a 10-player rotation in the first half while building a  commanding 36-11 cushion at intermission. All told, 13 players got  into the game and everyone scored.

"I like how we played," said Muhl. "Our defense was really good in the  first half."

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No. 1 Kirkwood women roll by 30

SEDALIA, Mo. - Tay Wilson and Awal Ajak led a balanced attack with 10 points apiece Saturday as the top-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team bounced State Fair, 76-46, at the State Fair tournament in  Missouri.

Tinee'sha Coleman and Olivia Usher grabbed six rebounds for Kirkwood. Wilson had four assists.

The Eagles, who won the NJCAA Division II national title last year with a 37-0 record, lost to Iowa Western in the first round of the State Fair tournament Friday and are 1-1 for the new campaign.

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No. 1 Kirkwood women nipped in opener

SEDALIA, Mo. - The streak is over.

The Kirkwood women's basketball team was trimmed by Iowa Western, 55-52, in the first game of the season Friday in the opening round of the State Fair Classic in Sedalia, Mo.

Kirkwood won all 37 of its games last season on its way to the NJCAA Division II national title, but the Eagles ran into a talented  Division I team Friday that features an international roster.

Kirkwood is ranked No. 1 in NJCAA Division II and Iowa Western is ranked No. 18 in NJCAA Division I.

The Eagles ed, 31-23, at halftime and took a slim 46-45 lead into the  final quarter, but the Rievers outscored the Eagles 10-6 in the final  10 minutes to claim the victory.

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KCC women begin year No. 1 in nation

Here's a dose of bad news for anyone who has to play the Kirkwood women's basketball team this season.

The Eagles, who went 37-0 last year and won the national title, could be even more talented this season.

"This group has a chance to be pretty good," Coach Kim Muhl said. "We're long, we're athletic.

"We have more depth than last year," he announced. "We just don't have the monster inside."

That "monster" last season was Simone Goods, the powerful center who was named the National Player of the Year and the Outstanding Player in the NJCAA national tournament.

Goods graduated after averaging 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Muhl will rotate several players in the post this  year, but knows it will be difficult to get the same production near the hoop.

Otherwise, Muhl likes what he sees as the Eagles prepare to open the season at the State Fair Tournament in Sedalia, Mo., this weekend. Kirkwood faces Iowa Western Friday and State Fair Saturday.

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