NIACC press release:
By KIRK HARDCASTLE
NIACC sports information director
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Anna Eckert is on a roll and the NIACC Lady Trojans are in the Elite 8 at the national tournament.
The NIACC sophomore picked up where she left off at the regional tournament with a career-high 31 point performance in the Lady Trojans’ 74-56 victory Tuesday over Lake Michigan College in the opening round of the NJCAA Division II national tournament on the Johnson County CC campus.
Eckert, who was the NJCAA Region XI tournament MVP, was 10 of 15 from the field, 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. She also contributed six rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots.
“She’s always been one of our best players,” NIACC coach Todd Ciochetto said of Eckert, who was a first-team all-region selection. “It hasn’t been her work ethic. It hasn’t been her not being smart on the court. It’s being healthy. She’s as good as they get in this tournament.”
Seventh-seed NIACC (23-10) faces second-seed Illinois Central (30-4) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Illinois Central advanced with a 77-36 victory over Union County Tuesday morning.
Lake Michigan (26-6) faces Union County (24-7) in the consolation bracket at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
It will be the fourth meeting this season between NIACC and Illinois Central. NIACC won the first meeting of the season and the Cougars have won the last two matchups.
“Coming into this there was a lot of adrenaline,” Eckert said. “We hope to get to the national title game.
“We got one down and now we just go game to game and hopefully get there.”
A main reason for the Lady Trojans advancing to Wednesday’s quarterfinals was Eckert.
Eckert scored 12 points in the first half and scored 15 of NIACC’s 28 points in the third quarter as the Lady Trojans opened a 59-35 lead.
“I knew I was a lot quicker than their posts that were guarding me,” Eckert said. “So I used that to my advantage.
“I had a lot of drives and a lot of (offensive) rebounds and was able to get around their posts pretty well.”
NIACC, which has won 11 straight games, led 23-9 after the first quarter, but Lake Michigan outscored NIACC 16-8 in the second quarter to trim the Lady Trojans’ halftime lead to 31-25 at the half.
But a 13-3 run by NIACC to start the third quarter erased any upset hopes for Lake Michigan.
“Our first 10 minutes and third 10 were really good,” Ciochetto said. “Our second 10 and last 10 weren’t very good.
“They played hard when they needed to and we look for to (Wednesday).”
Sophomore Diamond Miller scored 10 points with six rebounds for NIACC. The Lady Trojans also received nine points from Courtney Larson, eight points from Morgan Cuffe and seven points from Trudy Peterson.
Larson and Sam Adamich also grabbed six rebounds to join Eckert and Miller for team-high honors. Peterson paced the Lady Trojans with four assists.
Sophomore point guard Sammie Sproul contributed four rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Lady Trojans.
NIACC was 5 of 21 from 3-point range against Lake Michigan. The Lady Trojans received two 3-point goals from Larson and one each from Eckert, Peterson and Savannah Lentz.
Ciochetto said defenses can’t sag off the Lady Trojans’ 3-point shooters, which leaves room for the likes of Eckert, Miller, Cuffe and Sam Adamich to operate down low.
“They are the reason Anna is so wide open,” the coach said. “Anna knows that.
“They can’t give any help on Savannah or Trudy. That’s why we can get to the rim at will. That’s why this is a good basketball team.”
Now this NIACC basketball team that hasn’t lost since Jan. 30 is playing for a berth in the final four against an Illinois Central team it has developed a rivalry against in recent years.
“They’re fast,” Eckert said of the Cougars. “They’re pretty athletic. They’re big.
“We know we have to execute and work hard every play.”
NIACC 74, Lake Michigan College 56
Score by quarters
Lake Michigan 9 16 10 21 – 56
NIACC 23 8 28 15 – 74
Lake Michigan – Kelsee Kinder 7, Tammy Lee 5, Hailey Maas 14, Dennee Brown 4, Christy Gonzalez 4, Shanwee Dame 2, Alyson Yingling 2, Haley Madison 5, Shannon Dingman 11, Rylee Thompson 6. Totals – 22-68 7-13 56.
NIACC – Savannah Lentz 5, Courtney Larson 9, Anna Eckert 31, Trudy Peterson 7, Morgan Cuffe 8, Sam Adamich 4, Diamond Miller 10. Totals – 27-61 15-21 74.
3-point goals – Lake Michigan (5-21): Lee 1, Maas 1, Dingman 3. NIACC (5-19): Lentz 1, Larson 2, Eckert 1, Peterson 1. Total fouls – Lake Michigan 23, NIACC 16. Fouled out – Kinder.
NIACC’s 2015-16 season (23-10 overall)
NIACC 76, NDSCS 51
NIACC 98, Williston State College 77
NIACC 84, Illinois Central 76 (OT)
NIACC 87, Lake Land College 73
Illinois Central 86, NIACC 75
Parkland College 84, NIACC 71
NIACC 83, RCTC 61
State Fair CC 83, NIACC 81
NIACC 131, Kennedy King College 71
NIACC 74, Marshalltown CC 46
Iowa Western 81, NIACC 74
NIACC 93, Cincinnati State 80
Illinois Central 87, NIACC 54
Schoolcraft College 78, NIACC 55
Iowa Western 63, NIACC 53
Iowa Central 76, NIACC 52
NIACC 97, Southwestern 54
NIACC 106, Ellsworth 59
DMACC 83, NIACC 75
NIACC 85, Southeastern 81
NIACC 83, Iowa Lakes 68
Kirkwood 83, NIACC 76
NIACC 85, Iowa Central 66
NIACC 69, Southwestern 57
NIACC 68, Ellsworth 54
NIACC 64, DMACC 52
NIACC 93, Southeastern 71
NIACC 86, Iowa Lakes 70
NIACC 60, Kirkwood 57
NJCAA Region XI tournament
NIACC 77, Southwestern 45
NIACC 67, Iowa Central 54
NIACC 83, DMACC 80
NJCAA Division II national tournament
NIACC 74, Lake Michigan College 56
NIACC women’s basketball team 2015-16 season
When NIACC Then NIACC is
At home 11-3
On the road 8-3
Neutral site 4-4
Leads at halftime 20-3
Trails at halftime 2-6
Tied at half 1-1
Plays in overtime 1-0
Scores less than 60 points 0-4
Scores between 60-69 points 5-0
Scores between 70-79 points 4-5
Scores between 80-89 points 8-1
Scores between 90-99 points 4-0
Scores 100 or more points 2-0
Allows less than 60 points 11-0
Allows between 60-69 points 3-1
Allows between 70-79 points 6-2
Allows between 80-89 points 3-7
Allows between 90-99 points 0-0
Allows more than 100 points 0-0
Game is decided by 1-3 points 2-1
Game is decided by 4-6 points 1-0
Game is decided by 7-10 points 1-5
Game is decided by 11-14 points 6-2
Game is decided by 15 or more points 13-3