MASON CITY – For the second time in three seasons, the NIACC women’s basketball team is going to the national tournament.
NIACC claimed the NJCAA Region XI title with a thrilling 83-80 come-from-behind victory over DMACC in the loud NIACC gym Saturday afternoon.
NIACC (22-10) will be playing in its eighth national tournament March 15-19 in Overland Park, Kan. The Lady Trojans placed third at the NJCAA Division II national tournament in 2014.
Seedings and pairings for the NJCAA Division II national women’s tournament will be released at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
This trip to the national tournament truly was a team effort, led by tournament MVP Anna Eckert.
Eckert led the Lady Trojans with a triple-double with a career-high 23 points, 13 rebounds (matched a career high) and a career-best 10 blocked shots.
The 10 blocked shots by Eckert was two off the school record of 12 by Lashae Brooks in the 2012-13 season.
Savannah Lentz scored 18 points, including six 3-point goals. Courtney Larson scored 16 points and Diamond Miller scored 12 points and Morgan Cuffe scored 11 points.
And Larson gave the Lady Trojans an 83-80 lead with an old-fashioned 3-point play with 4.5 seconds remaining in the game that proved to be the game-winner.
DMACC’s last-second 3-point attempt missed and the Lady Trojans were the regional champions again.
Notes: The NIACC women are 8-2 in regional title games … Lentz has 659 career points (22nd on school’s career list) … Lentz has 164 career 3-point goals (1st on school’s career list) … Lentz has 80 3-point goals this season (5th on school’s single-season list) … Trudy Peterson has 579 career points (26th on school’s career list) … Peterson has 131 career 3-point goals (2nd on school’s career list) … Peterson has 89 3-point goals this season (2nd on school’s single-season list) … Miller has 344 career rebounds (tied for 13th on school’s career list) … Miller has 179 rebounds this season (36th on school’s single-season list) … Sproul has 114 assists this season (15th on school’s single-season list) … Sproul has 103 steals this season (11th on school’s single-season list).
NIACC 83, DMACC 80
DMACC 22 21 22 15 – 80
NIACC 19 20 22 22 83
DMACC – Cassie Geopfert 4, Shayla Dean 6, Emily Knittel 17, Kiana Peterson 17, London Vais 23, Amanda Cartney 3, Kelsey Pretz 10. Totals – 27-68 20-28 80.
NIACC – Savannah Lentz 18, Anna Eckert 23, Trudy Peterson 3, Courtney Larson 16, Morgan Cuffe 11, Diamond Miller 12. Totals – 30-64 15-22 83.
3-point goals – DMACC (6-19): Dean 2, Vais 2, Cartney 1, Pretz 1. NIACC (8-25): Lentz 6, Peterson 1, Larson 1. Total fouls – DMACC 17, NIACC 21. Fouled out – Cuffe.
Saturday’s title game
NIACC 83, DMACC 80
Thursday’s semifinal results
DMACC 66, Kirkwood 54
NIACC 67, Iowa Central 54
Tuesday’s first-round results
Kirkwood 103, Ellsworth 51
DMACC 82, Iowa Lakes 56
Iowa Central 64, Southeastern 59
