- Biliew's 27 points lead DMACC past ECC, 59-51
- Hartford leads Bears past ILCC with 15 points
- DMACC will face Kirkwood Community College in Region XI championship game
The DMACC men's basketball team advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Division II Men's Basketball Championship with victories against Ellsworth Community College (ECC) and Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) February 26 and 27 at Mason City.
Covid-19 freshman (CoFR) Goanar Biliew of Denison scored 27 and had nine rebounds as the Bears defeated ECC, 59-51, in their tournament opener on Feb. 26. DMACC, which led 30-19 at halftime, got nine points from freshman Hakeem Odunsi of Iowa City.
The Bears, ranked eighth in the NJCAA Division II poll, shot 35 percent in the win, making 20 of 57 field goal attempts. They were just 2-of-17 from three-point range and were 17-of-22 from the free throw line.
Biliew's nine rebounds and ten from freshman Greg Brown of Omaha, Neb., helped DMACC to a 54-39 advantage on the boards. Freshman Allen Udemadu of Lagos, Nigeria, added eight rebounds. Odunsi, sophomore Michael Hartford of McKinney, Texas, and Udemadu dished out two assists apiece and Biliew recorded a pair of blocked shots.
Hartford led four players in double figures with 15 points as the Bears defeated ILCC for the third time this season, 67-53, in the tournament semifinals Feb. 27. Covid-19 sophomore (CoSO) Jadan Graves of Syracuse, N.Y., and CoSO Noah Parcher of LaCrosse, Wis., had 13 points apiece and Brown added 11.
DMACC led 33-22 at halftime. The Bears shot 40 percent in the win, making 18 of 45 field goal attempts. They were 8-of-19 from three-point range and 23-of-38 from the free throw line.
DMACC had a 46-30 advantage on the boards with Parcher's eight rebounds leading the Bears. Biliew had seven rebounds and Graves came away with six. Parcher also led DMACC in assists with four and Biliew and Graves dished out three apiece. Brown and freshman James Glenn of Altoona led DMACC in steals with two apiece.
DMACC, the tournament's No. 2 seed, will play top-seeded Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in the Region XI championship game March 5 at Cedar Rapids. KCC, ranked 13th in NJCAA Division II, defeated DMACC twice during the regular season, 76-73 Dec. 8 at Cedar Rapids and 75-62 Feb. 23 inside the DMACC gymnasium.
The Region XI champion will advance to the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship March 15 to 19 at Danville, Ill. DMACC is the defending national champion.