NIACC men open regional tournament at Southwestern
CRESTON - The NIACC men's basketball team opens NJCAA Region XI tournament play at Southwestern tonight.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
NIACC enters the post-season tournament as the No. 7 seed. Southwestern is the region's No. 2 seed.
Southwestern swept NIACC during the regular season. The Spartans won 82-69 in Creston on Jan. 13 and won 81-55 in Mason City on Feb. 10.
The last time NIACC and Southwestern met in the regional tournament was the 1992-93 season with the Spartans winning 96-66.
NIACC is led by sophomore Boy Van Vliet, who averages 18.9 points per game. Freshman Luke Mascall-Wright averages 12.0 points per game and sophomore Trei Mitchell scores 8.9 points per game.
Van Vliet has 763 career points, which ranks 30th on NIACC's career scoring list. Van Vliet has 94 career 3-point goals, which is tied for 11th on the school's career list.
Trojan tidbits: NIACC leads the all-time series against Southwestern 50-37 ... Van Vliet has 65 3-point goals this season ... Court Christianson has 40 3-point goals ... Mitchell has 36 3-point goals ... Mascall-Wright averages 5.6 rebounds per game ... Van Vliet averages 5.2 rebounds per game ... James Wanjara averages 4.6 rebounds per game ... Mitchell has 117 assists ... Van Vliet has 106 assists ... Mitchell has 63 steals ... Van Vliet has 52 steals ... Van Vliet has 181 career assists (19th on school's career list) ... Van Vliet has 95 career steals (16th on school's career list) ... Mitchell has 167 career assists (tied for 23rd on school's career list) ... Mitchell has 89 career steals (23rd on school's career list).
Tonight's first-round games
(1) Kirkwood receives a first-round bye.
(5) Iowa Central at (4) Ellsworth, 7:30 p.m.
(6) DMACC at (3) Iowa Lakes, 7:30 p.m.
(7) NIACC at (2) Southwestern, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday's semifinals
Ellsworth/Iowa Central winner at Kirkwood, 7:30 p.m.
Iowa Lakes/DMACC winner vs. Southwestern/NIACC winner, 7:30 p.m. (site to be determined)
Saturday's championship - Highest seed hosts. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
NIACC men's basketball 2015-16 season (15-14 overall)
NIACC 105, Dakota Wesleyan JV 48
NIACC 97, Pure Prep Academy 48
Southeastern 81, NIACC 67
NIACC 90, Wartburg College JV 80
RCTC 89, NIACC 72
NIACC 95, Waldorf College JV 63
Quakerdale Prep Academy 74, NIACC 66
NIACC 90, Riverland CC 68
NIACC 93, Graceland University JV 51
NIACC 117, Little Priest Tribal College 73
Briar Cliff JV 74, NIACC 66
NIACC 80, Luther College JV 53
NIACC 95, AFLBS 62
NIACC 75, Saint Mary's University-Winona JV 61
NIACC 79, DCTC 77
NIACC 74, Iowa Central 60
Southwestern 82, NIACC 69
Ellsworth 84, NIACC 81
NIACC 81, Luther College JV 67
DMACC 76, NIACC 56
Iowa Lakes 78, NIACC 70
Kirkwood 93, NIACC 73
Iowa Central 85, NIACC 80
Southwestern 81, NIACC 55
Ellsworth 93, NIACC 52
NIACC 90, Wartburg JV 76
NIACC 65, DMACC 61
Iowa Lakes 77, NIACC 68
Kirkwood 74, NIACC 57
NIACC men's basketball team 2015-16 season
When NIACC Then NIACC is
At home 9-5
On the road 5-8
Neutral site 1-1
Leads at halftime 14-2
Trails at halftime 1-12
Tied at half 0-0
Plays in overtime 0-0
Scores less than 60 points 0-4
Scores between 60-69 points 1-5
Scores between 70-79 points 3-3
Scores between 80-89 points 2-2
Scores between 90-99 points 7-0
Scores 100 or more points 2-0
Allows less than 60 points 4-0
Allows between 60-69 points 7-0
Allows between 70-79 points 3-6
Allows between 80-89 points 1-6
Allows between 90-99 points 0-2
Allows more than 100 points 0-0
Game is decided by 1-3 points 1-1
Game is decided by 4-6 points 1-1
Game is decided by 7-10 points 1-4
Game is decided by 11-14 points 4-2
Game is decided by 15 or more points 8-6