• Freshman Andrew Austin leads DMACC with 30 points and 12 rebounds
• Sophomore Da'Shon Fisher adds 24 points
• Bears lose after leading by 10 points at halftime

Nothing lasts forever, not even 17-game winning streaks.

The DMACC men's basketball team saw their 17-game winning streak end following an 83-76 loss to Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) in the semifinals of the Division II Region 11 Men's Basketball Championship March 5 inside the DMACC gymnasium.

Freshman Andrew Austin of Rock Rapids led the Bears with a double-double, scoring a season-high 30 points and collecting 12 rebounds. Sophomore Da'Shon Fisher of Iowa City added 24 points.

DMACC seemingly had things going its way early as the Bears were seeking their third win over the Tritons in as many matchups this season. They had a nine-point lead at 19-10 with 10 minutes, 42 seconds to play in the opening half and led by as many as 18 points, 37-19, before ICCC closed the half with a 13-5 run to trail 42-32 at intermission.

The Tritons continued that run in the second half, outscoring the Bears 21-11 to gain a 53-53 tie with 13:22 to play. Austin's three-pointer with 11:54 remaining put the Bears up 56-53 and they had a 59-58 advantage before ICCC took the lead for good at 60-59 on a jump shot by Jordan Cain with 10 minutes remaining. The Tritons never led by more than seven points and DMACC cut the lead to two points, 69-67, with 4:25 to play but never got over the hump.

DMACC made 15 of 28 field goal attempts in building its first-half lead but cooled off in the second half, going 10-of-28. ICCC was just the opposite, making 12 of 34 shots in the first half and going 17-of-31 in the second half.

Both teams shot 45 percent for the game, DMACC going 25-of-56 and ICCC connecting on 29 of 65 shots. The Bears were 12-of-27 from three-point range and 14-of-20 from the free throw line. The Tritons made seven of 24 attempts from beyond the arc and went 18-of-26 from the free throw line.

ICCC came away with a 38-35 advantage on the boards with Austin's 12 rebounds leading DMACC. Sophomore Trevian Carson of Des Moines had nine rebounds and Fisher added seven. Sophomore Demerius Shakur of Milwaukee, Wis., dished out six assists and Austin and freshman Jaden Jefferson of Forney, Texas, led the Bears in steals with two apiece. Fisher also contributed three blocked shots.

ICCC, led by Cain's 36 points and 13 rebounds, will face Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in the Region 11 championship game March 8 at Cedar Rapids. KCC defeated Ellsworth Community College (ECC), 72-52, in the other semifinal matchup.

The Region 11 champion will move on to the 2025 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men's Basketball Championship March 17 to 22 at Danville, Ill.

DMACC, which has appeared in four national tournaments in the past five seasons including a championship in 2021, a third-place finish in 2022 and a fifth-place finish in 2024, can still make the tournament as an at-large selection. The Bears' 29-3 record and having been ranked in the top ten of the NJCAA Division II poll throughout the season will bode well for their chances.