- Freshman Eviyon Richardson scores 24 points and grabs 11 rebounds
- Sophomores Jaden Ainley and Reanna Hutchinson reach double figures with 20 and 11 points respectively
- Bears remain in third place in the ICCAC standings
Freshman Eviyon Richardson of Waterloo recorded a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the DMACC women's basketball team to a 72-62 win over Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) February 7 at Norfolk, Neb.
Sophomores Jaden Ainley of Clear Lake and Reanna Hutchinson of Eau Claire, Wis., scored in double figures with 20 and 11 points respectively as the Bears improved to 17-7 overall and 13-2 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with their sixth consecutive victory.
DMACC, ranked 18th in this week's Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), maintained a firm grip on third place in the ICCAC standings. Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) tops the conference at 14-0 and Kirkwood Community College (KCC) is second at 13-1. DMACC, which has a two and a half game lead over North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), faces all three teams yet this season with road games at IWCC and KCC. IWCC and KCC are ranked second and fourth in the NJCAA Division II poll.
NECC gave DMACC more than it wanted in the first half, leading 13-11 at the end of the first quarter and 31-26 at halftime. The Hawks had a 39-31 lead with 6 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter before a 10-1 run capped by a pair of free throws from Hutchinson got the Bears a 41-40 lead at the 2:24 mark of the period. DMACC led 48-46 at the end of the quarter and never trailed in the fourth quarter. The Bears had a 65-62 lead with 1:38 to play and outscored the Hawks 7-0 the rest of the way to get the win.
DMACC shot 36 percent, making 23 of 64 field goal attempts. The Bears were 10-26 from three-point range and 16-of-21 from the free throw line.
Richardson's 11 rebounds got DMACC a 45-28 advantage on the boards. Ainley came away with nine rebounds, Hutchinson had eight and sophomore Rebekah Fuller of Bondurant had seven. Sophomore Kennedy Jones of Oak Park, Ill., led the Bears in assists with five and joined Hutchinson and freshman Mary Walker of Fonda with two steals apiece.
The DMACC women's basketball team will play the Grand View University Junior Varsity Feb. 11 at Des Moines.