• Sophomore Jamal Ambrose leads DMACC with 18 points
• Sophomores Da'Shon Fisher and Trevian Carson and freshman Rylan Smith also score in double figures
• Bears shoot 46 percent in the win

Sophomore Jamal Ambrose of Apple Valley, Minn., led four players in double figures with 18 points as the DMACC men's basketball team opened Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play with an 87-65 win over Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Nov. 30 at Creston.

Sophomore Da'Shon Fisher of Iowa City tallied 17 points, freshman Rylan Smith of Lincoln, Neb., had 14 and sophomore Trevian Carson of Des Moines came away with 11 as the Bears, ranked sixth in the Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), improved to 8-1 for the season.

DMACC led throughout the game, including a 28-23 advantage at halftime, and pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 24 points. The Bears shot just 31 percent in the first half but improved on that in the second half with 17 field goals in 26 attempts, including 6-of-12 from three-point range. For the game DMACC was 28 of 61 from the field, 9-of-12 from three-point range and 14-of-26 from the free throw line.

Freshman Andrew Austin of Rock Rapids grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Bears to a 45-31 advantage on the boards. Carson added eight rebounds and Ambrose, sophomore Demerius Shakur of Milwaukee, Wis., and freshman Jaden Jefferson of Forney, Texas, had five rebounds apiece. Shakur led DMACC in assists with nine and Carson and Austin had two steals apiece.

The DMACC men's basketball team will step away from conference play with a game against Central (Neb.) Community College (CCC) tonight. Game time is 6 p.m. inside the DMACC gymnasium. CCC is 4-6 this season with five losses in its last six games.