• Sophomore Angelo Winkel and freshman Trevian Carson lead DMACC with 14 points apiece
• Bears shoot 34 percent in the loss
• Bears may still receive an invitation to national tournament

Ellsworth Community College (ECC) handed the DMACC men's basketball team a 76-62 loss in the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region XI Men's Basketball Tournament March 3 at Creston, 76-62, sending the Bears home at 28-4.

The Panthers, who took two of three games against DMACC this season, led throughout the game in ending DMACC's season at 28-4. They never trailed after taking a 7-5 lead with the first half less than five minutes old and had a 31-27 advantage at halftime.

DMACC managed to stay within five points of the Panthers through the first eight minutes of the second half and trailed 46-45 before a 14-4 run game the Panthers a 60-49 lead with 6 minutes, 33 seconds to play. DMACC never got closer than seven points the rest of the way and ECC managed leads of up to 15 points late in the game.

Sophomore Angelo Winkel of Algona and freshman Trevian Carson of Des Moines led DMACC with 14 points apiece and sophomore James Glenn of Altoona chipped in 11 points.

The Bears shot 34 percent, hitting 23 of 67 field goal attempts. They made five of 26 attempts from beyond the arc and were 11-of-19 from the free throw line.

ECC had a 38-29 advantage on the boards with Winkel and Carson leading DMACC with seven rebounds apiece. Winkel, Glenn, sophomore Trey Lewis of Johnston and freshman Da'Shon Fisher of Iowa City had one assist apiece and Carson, Glenn and sophomore Victor Desmond of Onalaska, Wis., had one steal apiece.

DMACC advanced to the Region XI semifinals behind a 104-83 win over Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) in the Region XI quarterfinals March 2 at Creston. The Bears led throughout out the game, including 57-39 at halftime in defeating the Tritons for the third time this season.

Lewis topped DMACC with 30 points and eight assists. Fisher scored 12 points, Glenn had 11 and Winkel and sophomore Elijah Thomas of Surprise, Ariz., finished with 10 points apiece.

DMACC shot 50 percent in the win, making 37 of 74 field goal attempts. The Bears were 16 of 39 from three-point range and 14-of-20 from the free throw line.

Freshman Omar Elchazli of Katy, Texas, helped DMACC to a 37-27 advantage on the boards with nine rebounds.

DMACC won the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) regular season championship with a 16-2 record and is ranked fourth in the final Division II poll of the season from the NJCAA. Despite not winning the Region XI tournament to qualify for the 2024 NJCAA Division II men's National Championship, the Bears remain in the pool of those teams who could receive an at-large bid to the tournament. That decision is expected to be made early next week.