NIACC's Hale signs with Missouri Western State

NIACC's Kelcie Hale drives to the basket in this season's regional title game against Kirkwood.

April 17, 2020

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – NIACC sophomore Kelcie Hale signed a national letter of intent to play basketball next season at Missouri Western State University.

Hale, a 5-foot-4 inch point guard, joins a Griffon team that went 21-8 in Candi Whitaker's first season as head coach, finishing in a tie for fourth place in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

Missouri Western State is a NCAA Division II school.

"Kelcie is a proven winner and great competitor," Whitaker said in a Missouri Western press release. "She is a true run-the-show point guard who has shown tremendous leadership skills as well as the ability to shoot the ball well beyond the arc.

"Griffon fans will enjoy watching her play the next two years."

Hale, who was a first-team all-NJCAA Region XI selection, averaged 10.2 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game during her sophomore season.

Hale, who is from Earlham, Iowa, was selected as the NJCAA Region XI tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 24 points in the No. 1 Lady Trojans' 95-73 win over Kirkwood in the regional title game.

In her career, Hale scored 569 points (tied for 36^th on school's career list) with 101 3-point goals (tied for 11^th on school's career list), 219 assists (7^th on school's career list) and 114 steals (tied for 28^th on school's career list).