The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) men's basketball season began the 2017-18 season with victories against Little Priest Tribal (LPT) and Southeast (Neb.) Community College (SECC).
The Bears defeated LPT, 87-82, in their season opener Nov. 1 at Winnebago, Neb., and made it two in a row with an 84-66 win over SECC Nov. 4 in their home opener.
Sophomore Wali Parks of Iowa City led four players in double figures with 20 points in DMACC's win over LPT. Freshman Ray Miller of Davenport had 18 points, freshman DeShawn Davidson of Waukegan, Ill., scored 13 points and freshman Lee Higgins of Chicago, Ill., finished with 10 points.
DMACC led 45-42 at halftime. The Bears hit 54 percent in the win, connecting on 33 of 61 field goal attempts, including eight of 17 from three-point range, and made 13 of 24 free throw attempts.
LPT came away with a 38-30 advantage on the boards with Parks pulling down 12 rebounds to lead the Bears. Miller and Davidson dished out five assists apiece for DMACC.
Parks led five players in double figures with 17 points and led five players in DMACC's win over SECC. Higgins and Miller tallied 14 points apiece, Davidson had 13 and freshman Elijah Ward of Joliet, Ill., score 10 points.
DMACC led 42-29 at halftime and pushed its advantage to as many as 31 points in the second half. The Bears connected on 34 of 64 field goal attempts, including 10-of-21 from three-point range, for 53 percent, and made six of 11 free throw attempts.
Parks had eight rebounds to lift DMACC to a 42-37 advantage on the boards. Freshman Andrew Madison of Grand Rapids, Mich., had seven rebounds and Ward and freshman Devonta Prince of Brooklyn Center, Minn., had six apiece. Parks, Madison, sophomore Antowine Locke of Bolingbrook, Ill., and Prince led the Bears in assists with three apiece.
The DMACC men's basketball team will face the Grand View University junior varsity on Nov. 7. Game time is 7:30 p.m.inside the DMACC gymnasium.
