No. 1 NIACC set to face pair of rated foes
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - For the first time in 15,321 days, the NIACC men's basketball team will take the court as the nation's top ranked team.
NIACC, which moved to the No. 1 position in the NJCAA Division II poll on Monday, faces No. 10 Johnson County CC at 7 p.m. Friday as part of the JCCC Classic.
NIACC faces No. 19 Highland (Kan.) CC at 1 p.m. on Saturday as part of the two-day classic.
NIACC was last ranked No. 1 on Jan. 11, 1978.
NIACC, which averages a NJCAA Division II best 114.2 points, pushed its record to 11-0 overall and 1-0 in the ICCAC with a 98-68 victory over Southwestern in its league opener on Dec. 4. Deundra Roberson led the Trojans with 24 points and Wendell Matthews scored 16 points and collected 10 rebounds.
Johnson County enters this weekend's classic with a record of 12-2. The Cavaliers dropped a 91-79 decision to No. 5 North Central Missouri College on Dec. 3 and lost to Iowa Western 73-72 on Dec. 7.
Johnson County was ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division II poll in the Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Nov. 25 and Dec. 2 polls.
Highland (Kan.) CC (11-3) has lost to DMACC (65-54), Metropolitan CC (71-59) and Southeast CC (82-76).
NIACC notes: The NIACC men's basketball team is 11-0 for the first time since the 1984-85 season ... The best start in school history for the NIACC men's basketball team is a 12-0 start in 2003-04 ... The 11-game win streak is tied for the third longest win streak in school history ... The 2003-04 team won 12 straight games and the 1978-79 team had a 13-game win streak ... Deundra Roberson has 746 career points, which ranks 36th on school's career scoring list ... Roberson has 84 3-point goals (20th on school's career list) and 97 steals (18th on school's career list) ... Wendell Matthews has 640 career points (45th on school's career list) and 350 rebounds (32nd on school's career list) ... Quentin Hardrict has 194 assists (17th on school's career list) ... Roberson averages 25.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in NJCAA Division II and leads the ICCAC ... Roberson averages 3.0 steals per game (1st in ICCAC) ... Matthews leads ICCAC in rebounds per game (9.2) ... Trey Sampson ranks sixth in ICCAC (7.4) and Chandler Dean ranks 11th (5.7) ... Anthony McDade averages 4.1 assists per game (4th in ICCAC) ... NIACC averages 114.2 points per game, which ranks 1st in NJCAA Division II.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
5 p.m. - Iowa Western vs. Highland (Kan.) CC
7 p.m. - NIACC vs. Johnson County CC
SATURDAY'S GAMES
1 p.m. - NIACC vs. Highland (Kan.) CC
3 p.m. - Iowa Western vs. Johnson County CC
NIACC's 2019-20 season (11-0 overall)
NIACC 119, Hibbing CC 74
NIACC 119, Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) 88
NIACC 100, Kansas City (Kan.) CC 95
NIACC 120, Quakderdale Prep Academy 62
NIACC 105, Luther College JV 58
NIACC 144, Grinnell College JV 107
NIACC 120, Wartburg College JV 107
NIACC 111, Central CC-Columbus (Neb.) 82
NIACC 105, Northeast CC 85
NIACC 115, Central CC-Columbus (Neb.) 103
NIACC 98, Southwestern 68
2019-20 TEAM SEASON HIGHS
Points - 144 vs. Grinnell College JV (11-15-19)
3-point goals - 11, twice.
Rebounds - 67 vs. Quakderdale Prep Academy (11-9-19)
Assists - 35 vs. Grinnell College JV (11-15-19)
Steals - 20 vs. Grinnell College JV (11-15-19)
Blocks - 11 vs. Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) (11-2-19)
2019-20 INDIVIDUAL SEASON HIGHS
Points - 45, Deundra Roberson vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
3-point goals - 4, Deundra Roberson vs. Quakderdale Prep Academy (11-9-19)
Rebounds - 19, Wendell Matthews vs. Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) (11-2-19)
Assists - 11, Anthony McDade vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
Steals - 7, Deundra Roberson twice; 7, Jaden Horton vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
Blocks - 4, Wendell Matthews vs. Kansas City (Kan.) CC (11-8-19)
NIACC men's basketball team 2019-20
When NIACC Then NIACC is
In November 9-0
In December 2-0
Plays at home 6-0
Plays on road 1-0
Plays on neutral court 4-0
Leads at halftime 11-0
Trails at halftime 0-0
Tied at halftime 0-0
Plays in overtime 0-0
Scores less than 60 points 0-0
Scores between 60-69 points 0-0
Scores between 70-79 points 0-0
Scores between 80-89 points 0-0
Scores between 90-99 points 1-0
Scores 100 or more points 10-0
Allows less than 60 points 1-0
Allows between 60-69 points 2-0
Allows between 70-79 points 1-0
Allows between 80-89 points 3-0
Allows between 90-99 points 1-0
Allows 100 or more points 3-0
Game decided by 1-3 points 0-0
Game decided by 4-6 points 1-0
Game decided by 7-10 points 0-0
Game decided by 11-14 points 2-0
Game decided by 15+ points 8-0
THE LAST TIME NIACC ....
Scored 100 points: NIACC 115, Central CC-Columbus (12-1-19)
Had 10 3-point goals: 11 vs. Quakderdale Prep Academy (11-9-19)
Had 50 rebounds: 61 vs. Northeast CC (11-23-19)
Had 20 assists: 24 vs. Southwestern (12-4-19)
Had 15 steals: 15 vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
THE LAST TIME A TROJAN HAD ...
50 points: 51, Dennis Shaffer vs. Southeastern (1972-73); 50, Dennis Shaffer vs. Iowa Central (1972-73)
40 points: 45, Deundra Roberson vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
30 points: 37, Deundra Roberson vs. Quakderdale Prep Academy (11-9-19)
5 3-point goals: 6, Deundra Roberson vs. Little Priest Tribal College (3-5-19) - Regional tournament game
25 rebounds: 25, Terry McKissick vs. Marshalltown (1971-72)
15 rebounds: 19, Wendell Matthews vs. Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) (11-2-19)
10 rebounds: 14, Trey Sampson vs. Northeast CC (11-23-19)
15 assists: 16, Mike Eckenrod vs. Kirkwood (1987-88)
10 assists: 11, Anthony McDade vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
10 steals: 10, Jade Watson vs. Normandale (1993-94)
5 steals: 7, Jaden Horton vs. Wartburg College JV (11-17-19)
5 blocks: 6, Trey Sampson vs. Ellsworth (2-27-19)
Double/double: Wendell Matthews 16 points/10 rebounds vs. Southwestern (12-4-19)
Triple/double: David Humphries 19 points/12 rebounds/10 assists vs. Riverland CC (11-20-12)