Look to avenge a Conference loss at home from earlier this season, Highland men's basketball team took on the Conference leading KCK Blue Devils on Wednesday. Scotties worked to as high as a 14-point lead but were unable to hold off KCK who handed the Scotties a 71-67 loss.

The loss moves Highland to 18-10 on the season and 4-5 in KJCCC action currently fourth in the Region standings.

After it was tight early the Scotties snagged the lead and went up 13-7 in a low scoring battle in the first half. The game was tied at 15-15 but then the Scotties would outscored KCK 11-4 to take a 26-19 advantage giving them the largest lead of the game but KCK pushed back just before the half to make it a five-point game going into halftime as Highland led 30-25.

Over the first couple of minutes in the second half the lead was extended to double figures by the Scotties as they went up by 10. Scotties maintained the lead and even pushed it to 11 at 52-41 with 10:30 minutes left in the game and then the lead grew to 14 at 62-48. For that point on the Scotties only scored five more points over the final three plus minutes of the game and KCK surged back to tie the game and then take the lead before icing the game at the free throw line as the Scotties fell 71-67.

Highland shot 47.5% from the field while holding KCK to 38.9% from the floor in the game but 13 turnovers hurt the Scotties in the contest, while the Blue Devils also hit 10 three's and went 19-27 from the free throw line.

Rashon Johnson in the loss had 18 points to lead Highland adding five rebounds, while Zyon Smith off the bench posted 12 points and four rebounds. Aguek Deng chipped in eight points and eight rebounds and Trey Twa tallied eight points and seven rebounds.

Scotties wrap up the regular season on the road at Fort Scott on Saturday, February 22^nd at 4:00pm.