No. 12 NIACC hosts Ellsworth in tourney opener

MASON CITY - The No. 12 NIACC women's basketball team hosts Ellsworth on Wednesday in the opening round of the NJCAA Region XI tournament.

Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in the NIACC gym.

NIACC (24-6 overall, 11-3 in the league) enters the post-season as the region's No. 2 seed. Ellsworth (8-21, 2-12) is the region's seventh seed. It is the sixth straight season that the NIACC women have hosted a first-round regional tournament game.

The winner of the NIACC/Ellsworth game faces either Iowa Central or Iowa Lakes in the semifinals on Saturday.

NIACC swept Ellsworth during the regular season. The Lady Trojans won 89-46 on Jan. 24 in Mason City and won 99-70 on Feb. 21 in Ellsworth.

The Lady Trojans have won 13 straight games against Ellsworth.

NJCAA REGION XI PAIRINGS

Monday's play-in game

5:30 p.m. - Little Priest Tribal College (10-20) at (8) Southwestern (7-21, 0-14)

Wednesday's games

5:30 p.m. - Play-in winner at (1) Kirkwood (28-3, 14-0)

5:30 p.m. - (5) DMACC (20-11, 7-7) at (4) Southeastern (21-9, 8-6)

5:30 p.m. - (6) Iowa Lakes (13-17, 6-8) at (3) Iowa Central (16-14, 8-6)

5:30 p.m. - (7) Ellsworth (8-21, 2-12) at (2) NIACC (24-6, 11-3)

Note: Saturday's semifinals are at highest remaining seed with games to be determined at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Championship game is Sunday at 1 p.m.

NIACC's 2017-18 season (24-6 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

Illinois Central 66, NIACC 62

Owens CC 73, NIACC 63

NIACC 83, Southeastern CC 52

Kirkwood 68, NIACC 59

NIACC 76, Iowa Central 67

NIACC 89, Ellsworth 46

DMACC 91, NIACC 83

NIACC 94, Iowa Lakes 71

NIACC 99, Southwestern 75

NIACC 98, Southeastern 94

Kirkwood 70, NIACC 68

NIACC 93, Iowa Central 73

NIACC 99, Ellsworth 70

NIACC 110, DMACC 78

NIACC 95, Iowa Lakes 72

NIACC 103, Southwestern 54