The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) women's basketball team came away with a loss and a win in a pair of games December 7 and 8.
The Bears dropped a 70-60 decision to Little Priest Tribal (LPT) Dec. 7 at Winnebago, Neb., and rebounded with an 80-51 win over the Graceland University junior varsity (GUJV) Dec. 8 inside the DMACC gymnasium.
The loss to LPT came in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play and gave the Bears a 1-1 mark in the league. With their win over GUJV, the Bears improved to 6-7 for the season.
Freshman Jada Powell of Des Moines earned a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore Taelor Lessmeier of Fort Dodge finished with 10 points in DMACC's loss to LPT. The two teams were tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter and DMACC used an 18-11 run in the second quarter for a 31-24 advantage at halftime. The Bears led 46-41 lead at the end of the third quarter but were outscored 29-14 in the fourth period as LPT came away with the win.
DMACC shot 31 percent in the loss, making 21 of 67 field goal attempts. The Bears were 7-of-35 from three-point range and 11-of-16 from the free throw line.
Powell's 11 rebounds included nine defensive rebounds lifted DMACC to 49 rebounds in the game. Lessmeier and sophomore Hannah McKinney of Des Moines had eight rebounds apiece and freshman Emma Mace of Hawarden came away with five. Sophomore Asia Mena of Chicago, Ill., led the Bears in assists with six.
Mace tallied 15 points, freshman Riley Gatton of Montezuma had 14 and Powell scored 12 in DMACC's win over GUJV. The Bears led 28-13 at the end of the first quarter, 44-23 at halftime and 64-37 at the end of the third quarter.
DMACC shot 43 percent in the win, hitting 29 of 67 field goal attempts. The Bears connected on 12 of 31 shots from beyond the arc for 39 percent and made 10 of 18 free throw attempts for 56 percent.
GUJV had a 38-36 advantage on the boards with McKinney's seven rebounds leading DMACC. Powell pulled down six rebounds and Riley finished with five. Freshman Shamir Brown of Tuscaloosa, Ala., dished out a team-high five assists and Powell led the way in steals with four. Gatton had three steals and a pair of blocked shots.
The DMACC women's basketball team closes out the December portion of its schedule against Southeast (Neb.) Community College (SENEB) Dec. 14 inside the DMACC gymnasium. Game time is 1 p.m. SENEB defeated DMACC, 78-72, when the two teams played Nov. 8 at Columbus, Neb.