MEN’S BASKETBALL
What’s next: The NIACC men’s basketball team (18-10 overall, 5-7 in the ICCAC) hosts Ellsworth (16-10, 8-4) on Wednesday in its final regular season home game. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Last time out: NIACC dropped a 86-81 decision to DMACC last Saturday in Boone. Freshman David Humphries (Adelaide, Australia) led the Trojans with 30 points.
Upcoming Region XI tournament: NIACC sits in seventh place in the league at 5-7 with games remaining against Ellsworth (Wednesday) and at Clinton (March 2). The top four teams in the league host a first-round tournament game on March 6.
Among the leaders: Humphries, who has 507 points this season, averages 20.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game (both second in the ICCAC). He’s also fourth in the league in assists (109) and fourth in steals (65).
Climbing the charts: Sophomore Chris Davis (Colorado Springs, Col.) ranks 12th on NIACC’s all-time scoring list with 940 points. Brad Pippett, who played from 1988-90, ranks 11th with 963 career points. Davis ranks fourth on the school’s all-time 3-point list with 138. Paul Bruns, who played from 1993-95, ranks third with 152.
Did you know? Bruns, who helped guide NIACC to the 1995 NJCAA Division II title, hold NIACC’s single-season 3-point goal record with 97.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
What’s next: The NIACC women’s basketball team (17-12, 10-5) hosts Ellsworth (11-17, 4-10) in its final regular season game Wednesday. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
Last time out: NIACC topped DMACC 71-66 last Saturday in Boone. Freshman Lateeka Thompson (Burnsville, Minn.) and Chelsey Jacox (Plymouth, Minn.) both scored 23 points to lead the Lady Trojans. The 23 points for Thompson was a career high.
Upcoming tournament: NIACC is in fourth place in the league with its 10-5 mark. If NIACC beats Ellsworth and Kirkwood beats DMACC on Saturday, the Lady Trojans would be the third seed in the Region XI tournament, which starts March 6.
Chelsey’s in charge: Jacox is third in the league in scoring (14.1 points per game). She’s also fifth in the league with 102 assists and fifth in the league with 63 steals.
Did you know? Jennifer Currier, who played from 1986-88, is NIACC’s all-time leading scorer with 1,057 career points.
WRESTLING
Last time out: The NIACC wrestling team placed 17th at last weekend’s NJCAA national tournament in Des Moines with 43 points. North Idaho and Labette Community College shared the team title with 120 points.
Back-to-back Basil: Sophomore Basil Minto (Cape Coral, Fla.) placed fifth at 184 pounds to earn all-American honors for the second straight year. Minto, who placed fifth in 2012, became NIACC’s fifth 2-time all-American.
Other all-Americans: Freshman Shakheim Chapman (Gumee, Ill.) and freshman Alex Stockton (Gardner, Ia.) also earned all-American honors for the Trojans. Chapman was fifth at 197 pounds and Stockton was sixth at 285 pounds.
Did you know? NIACC’s 1973 national title team had five all-Americans, including national champion heavyweight Bob Fouts.
TRACK AND FIELD
What’s next: The NIACC indoor track and field teams compete in the NJCAA national meet Friday and Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
National qualifiers: The NIACC men’s team qualified in eight events, including two athletes in the 800-meter run, the 1,000 and the 5,000. The Trojans rank fifth in the distance medley relay (10 minutes, 33.62 seconds) and seventh in the 4×800 (7:56.06).
Sophomore Emily Burchett (Mayview, Mo.) qualified in the weight throw for the women’s team with a toss of 47 fee8, 8 ½ inches (ranks 17th in NJCAA).
The following is a list of the men’s individual qualifiers:
Weight throw: Trey Taylor, 52-4 ½ (12th in NJCAA); 800 – Jonny Worley, 1:57.43 (25th in NJCAA), OJ Ojulu, 1:58.02 (33rd in NJCAA); 1,000 – Worley, 2:38.55 (43rd in NJCAA), Matt Bowman, 2:40.14 (54th in NJCAA); Mile – Worley, 4:22.21 (12th in NJCAA). 3,000 – Trent Smith, 8:44.92 (12th in NJCAA); 5,000 – Smith, 14:58.36 (3rd in NJCAA), Mason Powers, 15:30.93 (12th in NJCAA).
Did you know? Gainwan Gray owns three NIACC indoor school records – all set in 2011. He is the school record-holder in the 55-meters (6.46 seconds), 200 (22.36) and 400 (49.32).
Baseball
Called off: The NIACC baseball team’s season-opening series against Lewis and Clark Community College in Alton, Ill., scheduled for Saturday and Sunday has been canceled due to inclement weather.
What’s next: The Trojans open the season March 9-15 on their spring break trip in Vero Beach, Fla.
Softball
What’s next: The NIACC softball team opens the season March 11-14 at the Snowbird Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
