Women's Basketball: Raiders Start Their Season 1-1 at the Highland Classic

The Central Community College women's basketball team kicked off their season at the Highland Classic Tournament over Halloween and November 1st. The Raiders matched up with teams from Highland CC (Kansas) on Halloween and Johnson County CC on November 1st. A Recap of the 2 games is below:

Game 1 Vs. Highland Community College

Central women faced adversity immediately, falling behind 25-14 after the first quarter as the home team came out firing. Highland maintained its advantage through the halftime break, taking a 48-39 lead into the locker room. The Raiders kept the pressure on in the third quarter, but still trailed 70-54 heading into the final frame.

However, the fourth quarter was all Central. The Raiders' offense exploded for a massive 36 points in the final ten minutes while locking down the Highland offense, holding them to just 15 points. The Raiders shot a red-hot 55.56% (15-27) from the floor in the quarter, fueled by aggressive drives and trips to the free-throw line that turned the tide of the game. Lexi Fiscus was phenomenal, leading all scorers with 29 points on an efficient 11-of-20 shooting. She completed a key double-double by grabbing 12 rebounds and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Gabby Theis was a critical spark plug for the offense, pouring in 24 points and hitting 3 three-pointers. Delaney Reeg also recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Her persistent attacking earned her 16 free-throw attempts, converting 11, which proved vital to Central's fourth-quarter surge.

Game 2 Vs. Johnson County CC

In game 2 the Raiders fell 99-61 to the #1-ranked Johnson County Community College Cavaliers in a tough road matchup. Despite the final score, the Raiders showed flashes of fight and potential against the top junior college program in the nation, providing a valuable learning experience just two games into the 2025-26 campaign. The Cavaliers' elite offense was on display from the opening tip, as the home side jumped out to an early lead. JCCC's aggressive perimeter shooting proved difficult to contain, as they sank 14 three-pointers on the night, shooting over 41% from deep.

The Raiders finish the tournament at 1-1 and the season begins 1-1. Women's basketball is in action next at Raider Fieldhouse against Concordia University JV on Nov 4th.