18th Ranked Cardinals Roll Past Olney For 7th Straight Win
PARK HILLS, Mo. — The 18th-ranked Mineral Area College Cardinals wasted no time asserting their dominance on Saturday, November 22, storming out to a 31-point halftime lead and never looking back in an 89–52 win over Olney Central College at the Bob Sechrest Field House.
Mineral Area (now 7–2 on the season) was sharp from the opening tip, exploding for 50 first-half points while holding the Blue Knights to just 19. The Cardinals' depth and efficiency proved overwhelming, with five players scoring in double figures and the bench contributing 64 of the team's 89 points.
Cardinals Torch Nets From Deep
Mineral Area shot 52.6% from the field and 48.4% (15-of-31) from three-point range. Freshman guard Ramello Smith delivered a breakout performance, pouring in a game-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including five three-pointers.
Freshman spark plug Lorenzo Shields added 11 points, while veteran forwards Carl Claxton and Nazir Allen contributed 11 and 9 points respectively. Allen also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds.
Team Effort Defines Cardinals' Win
Mineral Area's relentless defense and balanced scoring were hallmarks of the performance. The Cardinals outrebounded OCC 27–25 and held a commanding advantage in transition and perimeter efficiency.
Bench production was also a deciding factor: MAC's reserves outscored Olney's by a 65–12 margin.
Looking Ahead
With the win, MAC continues to build momentum but the team will continue to be challenged when they travel to Big Spring, TX to patriciate in the Howard College Classic December 4-6. On December 4th, MAC takes on #19 Howard College followed by #6 Midland on December 5th. The Cardinals will wrap up the trip by taking on Western Texas College on December 6. Following the tournament on Big Spring, the Cardinals will have played 6 of the their first 12 games against NJCAA D1 ranked opponents.