Sophomore Wali Parks of Iowa City and freshman Lee Higgins of Chicago, Ill., scored 22 points apiece as the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) men's basketball team dropped a 103-81 decision to Southwestern Community College (SWCC) January 24 at Creston.
Freshman DeShawn Davidson of Waukegan, Ill., and sophomore Nysir Marshburn of Philadelphia, Penn., had 12 and 11 points respectively as the Bears fell to 14-5 overall and 1-2 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
SWCC, the defending national champion in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, came into the game ranked 13th nationally and DMACC is ranked 16th.
SWCC pulled away from a 4-4 tie with 10 unanswered points and never trailed again. The Spartans led by as many as 17 points in the first half and had a 53-39 advantage at halftime. DMACC closed to within nine points, 80-71, with just less than 10 minutes to play, but got no closer.
The Bears shot 46 percent in the loss, hitting 26 of 63 field goal attempts. They were 5-of-17 from three-point range and 18-of-26 from the free throw line.
DMACC had a 40-27 advantage on the boards with Marshburn's nine rebounds leading the way. Freshman Elijah Ward of Joliet, Ill., had six rebounds and Parks came away with five. Davidson topped DMACC in assists with five and Marshburn and Davidson had two steals apiece.
The DMACC men's basketball team is home to North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) on Jan. 27. Game time is 3 p.m. inside the DMACC gymnasium. NIACC is 11-7 overall and 0-3 in the ICCAC.