NIACC women open tourney play at Iowa Lakes

ESTHERVILLE - The post-season begins Wednesday night for the NIACC women's basketball team.

Fifth-seed NIACC (21-8) plays at fourth-seed Iowa Lakes (19-11) Wednesday in the opening round of the NJCAA Region XI tournament. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m.

The winner of Wednesday's NIACC/Iowa Lakes games faces either top-seed Kirkwood (29-1) or eight-seed DMACC (15-16) in Saturday's regional semifinals at the highest remaining seed after Wednesday's first round games.

 NIACC and Iowa Lakes split their two regular season contests this season. The Lakers won 79-78 on Jan. 12 in Estherville and the Trojans won 67-59 on Feb. 23 in Mason City.

NIACC, under second-year head coach Brad Vaught, has reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the Trojans were 32-1 in the 2019-20 season. The Trojans were 4-16 in Vaught's initial season as head coach in 2021.

The 17-game turnaround in victories from the 2021 season is the biggest turnaround in school history. The Trojans went from 18 wins to 34 wins from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

Other significant turnarounds in NIACC women's basketball history were 15 games from the 1976-77 (9) and 1977-78 (24) seasons and 13 games from the 1981-82 (8) and 1982-83 (21) seasons.

NIACC has three players averaging in double figures heading into the regional tournament. Audrey Martinez-Stewart averages 11.9 points per game, Alyssa Hames averages 11.3 points per game and Nora Francois averages 10.2 points per game,

Chelsey Holck leads the Trojans with 32 3-point goals. Hames leads the team with 240 rebounds.

Martinez-Stewart leads the Trojans with 106 and 79 steals. Hames has 64 assists and 50 steals.

NIACC's 2021-22 season (21-8)

NIACC 77, Graceland University JV 55 (H)

NIACC 89, Sisseton Wahpeton College 44 (H)

NIACC 65, Luther College JV 51 (H)

NIACC 72, Grand View JV 67 (N)

NIACC 80, Oakton CC 56 (N)

Southeastern 64, NIACC 61 (H)

NIACC 67, Northeast CC 62 (A)

Iowa Western 61, NIACC 46 (A)

NIACC 95, Marshalltown CC 67 (H)

NIACC 101, Minnesota West 76 (A)

NIACC 64, Gustavus Adolphus JV 59 (N)

Kirkwood 89, NIACC 52 (H)

Iowa Central 67, NIACC 65 (A)

NIACC 85, William Penn JV 47 (H)

Iowa Lakes 79, NIACC 78 (A)

NIACC 82, Southeastern 67 (A)

Kirkwood 59, NIACC 52 (A)

NIACC 53, Northeast CC 46 (H)

NIACC 74, Luther College JV 45 (H)

Iowa Central 60, NIACC 49 (H)

Southwestern 73, NIACC 62 (A)

NIACC 59, Iowa Western 54 (H)

NIACC 94, Ellsworth 53 (H)

NIACC 72, Marshalltown CC 49 (A)

NIACC 74, DMACC 51 (A)

NIACC 83, Southwestern 70 (H)

NIACC 76, DMACC 66 (H)

NIACC 90, Ellsworth 64 (A)

NIACC 67, Iowa Lakes 59 (H)

NJCAA Region XI tournament

Play-in game - DMACC 86, Southwestern 74

Wednesday's first-round games (all games at 5:30 p.m.)

(9) DMACC at (1) Kirkwood

(5) NIACC at (4) Iowa Lakes

(7) Southeastern at (2) Iowa Western

(6) Northeast CC at (3) Iowa Central

Saturday's semifinals (at site of highest remaining seed)

1 p.m. - Kirkwood/DMACC winner vs. Iowa Lakes/NIACC winner

3 p.m. - Iowa Western/Southeastern winner vs. Iowa Central/Northeast CC winner

Note - Sunday's championship is at 1 p.m.