NIACC women's season summary

NIACC's Andrea Gray drives to the basket during the regional title game against Kirkwood.
NIACC's Andrea Gray drives to the basket during the regional title game against Kirkwood.
March 26, 2020

The NIACC women's basketball team was 32-1 in the 2019-20 season.

It was the second time in school history that the Lady Trojans reached the 30-win plateau. The Lady Trojans were 34-3 in the 2013-14 season and placed third at the NJCAA Division II national tournament.

NIACC, which was ranked No. 1 in the final four polls of the 2019-20 season, was a perfect 16-0 in the ICCAC. The Lady Trojans cruised through the NJCAA Region XI tournament with wins over Little Priest Tribal College (116-36), Iowa Lakes (82-54) and Kirkwood (95-73).

NIACC earned the No. 1 seed for the NJCAA Division II national tournament that was scheduled for March 17-21 in Port Huron, Mich. The tournament, however, was canceled due to the Coronavirus.

NIACC's Autam Mendez was selected as the ICCAC women's basketball player of the year. Sierra Morrow was selected as the league's defensive player of the year and Todd Ciochetto was the league's coach of the year.

The following is a game-by-game summary of the 2019-20 season:

Ellsworth's Dale Howard Classic (2 games)

NIACC 97, Grand View JV 86 (N) - Sierra Lynch scored 22 points with 8 rebounds. Kelcie Hale and Morrow both scored 22 points.

NIACC 87, Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) 82 (N) - Lynch scored 26 points with 12 rebounds. Hale scored 27 points and Morrow scored 14 points with 8 rebounds.

NIACC's Konigsmark Klassic (2 games)

NIACC 82, Illinois Central (H) - Abby Leach scored 18 points and Sydney Wetlaufer scored 12 points.

NIACC 91, Marshalltown CC 38 (H) - Morrow scored 23 points with 12 rebounds and 13 blocked shots. Wetlaufer scored 18 points.

NIACC 89, Iowa Western 63 (H) - Lynch scored 17 points and Wetlaufer scored 16 points. Sanaa Smith and Hale both scored 15 points.

Iowa Central's Great Western Shootout (2 games)

NIACC 92, Central CC-Columbus 39 (N) - Autam Mendez scored 24 points and Shanaa Secody scored 14 points.

NIACC 76, Northeast CC 66 (N) - Hale scored 14 points, Lynch scored 13 points and Mendez scored 12 points.

NIACC 96, Southwestern 78 (A) - Lynch scored 23 points, Morrow scored 22 points with 8 rebounds and Hale scored 16 points with 5 assists.

John Wood CC Classic (2 games)

NIACC 82, John Wood CC 70 (A) - Smith scored 15 points, Lynch scored 14 points and Mendez scored 14 points with 7 rebounds.

NIACC 84, Lincoln Land CC 81 (OT) (N) - Morrow scored 29 points with 17 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. Lynch scored 20 points and Mendez scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Illinois Central Cougar Holiday Tournament (3 games)

Bryant & Stratton (Wis.) 65, NIACC 59 (N) - Morrow scored 20 points with 8 rebounds and 9 blocked shot. Secody scored 11 points.

NIACC 94, Sauk Valley CC 66 (N) - Mendez scored 17 points, Secody scored 17 points and Morrow scored 9 points with 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.

NIACC 89, Sinclair CC 66 (N) - Wetlaufer scored 26 points, including 8 3-point goals. Lynch scored 15 points and Mendez scored 15 points with 8 rebounds.

NIACC 112, Little Priest Tribal College 35 (H) - Mendez scored 26 points, Allie Negen scored 20 points and Morrow scored 15 points with 8 rebounds.

NIACC 77, DMACC 62 (A) - Wetlaufer scored 27 points with 7 rebounds. Mendez scored 18 points with 7 rebounds.

NIACC 84, Iowa Lakes 69 (H) - Mendez scored 31 points with 12 rebounds. Lynch scored 17 points and Hale scored 13 points with 7 rebounds.

NIACC 99, Ellsworth 32 (A) - Morrow scored 20 points with 8 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Wetlaufer scored 18 points with 8 rebounds. Mendez scored 15 points and Brooke Heisler scored 14 points.

NIACC 97, Southeastern 65 (H) - Hale scored 27 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Morrow scored 18 points with 7 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

NIACC 63, Kirkwood 60 (A) - Mendez scored 22 points and Lynch scored 16 points.

NIACC 85, DMACC 52 (H) - Mendez scored 25 points with 10 rebounds. Wetlaufer scored 13 points.

NIACC 78, Iowa Lakes 70 (A) - Lynch scored 27 points and Morrow scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots.

NIACC 116, Ellsworth 23 (H) - Mendez scored 20 points with 8 rebounds. Wetlaufer scored 20 points and Lynch scored 18 points.

NIACC 108, Iowa Central 43 (A) - Mendez scored 24 points with 16 rebounds. Morrow scored 24 points with 11 rebounds and Wetlaufer scored 23 points.

NIACC 85, Kirkwood 64 (H) - Mendez scored 20 points with 11 rebounds. Morrow scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and Hale scored 14 points with 6 assists.

NIACC 120, Little Priest Tribal College 41 (A) - Mendez scored 48 points, including 11 3-point goals, with 17 rebounds. Wetlaufer scored 16 points and Leach scored 14 points.

NIACC 99, Southwestern 70 (H) - Morrow scored 30 points with 6 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Mendez scored 28 points with 11 rebounds.

NJCAA Region XI tournament

NIACC 116, Little Priest Tribal College 36 (H) - Wetlaufer scored 18 points, Morrow scored 16 points and Negen scored 15 points.

NIACC 82, Iowa Lakes 54 (H) - Morrow scored 13 points with 11 rebounds. Hale scored 12 points and Leach scored 11 points.

NIACC 95, Kirkwood 73 (H) - Hale scored 24 points, Andrea Gray scored 23 points and Mendez scored 11 points with 14 rebounds. Hale was selected as the MVP of the regional tournament. Mendez and Morrow were also selected to the all-tournament team.

Current streaks

Winning streak - 20 games

Home court - 34 games

ICCAC - 28 games

NIACC IN THE 2019-20 POLLS

 

Oct. 21 - 9th

Nov. 11 - 3rd

Nov. 18 - 3rd

Nov. 25 - 3rd

Dec. 2 - 3rd

Dec. 9 - 2nd

Dec. 16 - 2nd

Jan. 6 - 6th

Jan. 13 - 5th

Jan. 21 - 5th

Jan. 27 - 4th

Feb. 3 - 1st

Feb. 10 - 1st 

Feb. 17 - 1st

Feb. 24 - 1st