PEORIA, Ill. – The No. 2 NIACC women’s basketball team continued its winning ways with a 122-58 victory over Kalamazoo Valley Thursday in the opening round of the Illinois Central Cougar Holiday Tournament.
NIACC (13-1) was led by sophomore guard Adria Stewart, who scored a career-high 22 points with six 3-point goals. Also in double figures for the Lady Trojans were Taylor Laabs (17), UU Longs (16), Shayley Vesel (14), Khalilah Holloway (11) and Morgan Frank (10).
Longs also had seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Holloway had 12 rebounds to go with her 11 points for her fifth career double-double.
NIACC’s Kelsie Willert collected nine steals, which is the most in a game by a Lady Trojan since Sammie Sproul had nine steals against Williston State on Oct. 31, 2015.
The 122 points by NIACC in Thursday’s game is the sixth highest point total in school history and second highest this season.
NIACC was 22 of 61 from 3-point range against Kalamazoo Valley CC. Stewart led the way with her six 3-point goals and Laabs was next in line with five 3-pointers.
The 22 3-point goals is tied for third most in a single game in school history and the third highest this season for the Lady Trojans, who made 26 against Dakota College-Bottineau (Dec. 9) and 23 against the Grand View Junior Varsity (Nov. 26).
NIACC plays either No. 5 Illinois Central or McHenry County in the tournament semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday. No. 8 Kirkwood (11-3) faces No. 10 Owens CC (12-1) in the other semifinal at 2 p.m. Friday.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
Kirkwood 98, Sauk Valley 39
Owens CC 63, South Suburban 55
NIACC 122, Kalamazoo Valley CC 58
6 p.m. – Illinois Central vs. McHenry County
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
10 a.m. – Sauk Valley vs. South Suburban
Noon – Kalamazoo Valley vs. McHenry County/Illinois Central loser
2 p.m. – Kirkwood winner vs. Owens CC
4 p.m. – NIACC vs. McHenry County/Illinois Central winner
SATURDAY, DEC. 30
10 a.m. – 7th-place game
Noon – 5th-place game
2 p.m. – Consolation game
4 p.m. – Championship game
NIACC women’s 2017-18 season (13-1 overall)
NIACC 99, Illinois Central 82
NIACC 90, Bay College 61
NIACC 134, Milwaukee Area Tech 45
NIACC 121, Harper College 28
NIACC 98, Iowa Western 89
NIACC 128, Riverland CC 36
NIACC 102, Rock Valley College 76
NIACC 112, Lake Region State College 57
NIACC 105, Grand View JV 73
Northeast CC 67, NIACC 54
NIACC 111, Central CC-Columbus 51
NIACC 78, NDSCS 77 (OT)
NIACC 106, Dakota College-Bottineau 47
NIACC 122, Kalamazoo Valley CC 58