Top 10 matchup: No. 10 NIACC faces No. 2 Kirkwood
CEDAR RAPIDS - The No. 10 NIACC women's basketball team faces No. 2 Kirkwood Wednesday in a key early-season ICCAC matchup.
Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
NIACC enters the showdown 14-3 overall and 1-0 in the ICCAC. Kirkwood is 15-3 and also 1-0 in the league.
Kirkwood opened the conference season with a 72-47 win over Iowa Central last Saturday. The Eagles, the defending NJCAA Division II national champion has won five straight games.
The last defeat by Kirkwood was a 74-67 loss to the Chicago All-Stars on Dec. 16.
Last time out
NIACC topped No. 14 Southeastern 83-52 in its ICCAC opener last Saturday in the NIACC gym. Sophomore guard Taylor Laabs scored 30 points, including 5 3-point goals, with 5 rebounds and 5 steals.
The 31 points by Laabs was the first time a Lady Trojan scored at least 30 points in an ICCAC game since Savannah Lentz scored 34 points against Ellsworth on Feb. 21, 2015.
Also for the Lady Trojans, Morgan Frank scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against Southeastern. Khalilah Holloway and Mikayla Homola both scored 9 points against Southeastern.
NIACC trailed 32-30 at the half and outscored the Blackhawks 53-20 in the second half.
In the NJCAA Division II rankings
NIACC averages 98.1 points per game, which ranks No. 2 in NJCAA Division II. The Lady Trojans rank 1st in NJCAA Division II with 244 3-point goals.
NIACC averages 21.5 assists per game (2nd in NJCAA Division II) and 15.7 steals per game (7th in NJCAA Division II) and 49.7 rebounds per game (5th in NJCAA Div. II).
NIACC's 2017-18 season (14-3 overall)
NIACC 99, Illinois Central 82
NIACC 90, Bay College 61
NIACC 134, Milwaukee Area Tech 45
NIACC 121, Harper College 28
NIACC 98, Iowa Western 89
NIACC 128, Riverland CC 36
NIACC 102, Rock Valley College 76
NIACC 112, Lake Region State College 57
NIACC 105, Grand View JV 73
Northeast CC 67, NIACC 54
NIACC 111, Central CC-Columbus 51
NIACC 78, NDSCS 77 (OT)
NIACC 106, Dakota College-Bottineau 47
NIACC 122, Kalamazoo Valley CC 58
Illinois Central 66, NIACC 62
Owens CC 73, NIACC 63
NIACC 83, Southeastern CC 52
NIACC women's basketball team 2017-18
When NIACC Then NIACC is
In November 9-0
In December 4-3
In January 1-0
Plays at home 8-0
Plays on road 1-1
Plays on neutral court 5-2
Leads at halftime 13-0
Trails at halftime 1-3
Tied at halftime 0-0
Plays in overtime 1-0
Scores less than 60 points 0-1
Scores between 60-69 points 0-2
Scores between 70-79 points 1-0
Scores between 80-89 points 1-0
Scores between 90-99 points 3-0
Scores 100 or more points 9-0
Allows less than 60 points 8-0
Allows between 60-69 points 1-2
Allows between 70-79 points 3-1
Allows between 80-89 points 2-0
Allows between 90-99 points 0-0
Allows 100 or more points 0-0
Game decided by 1-3 points 1-0
Game decided by 4-6 points 0-1
Game decided by 7-10 points 1-1
Game decided by 11-14 points 0-1
Game decided by 15+ points 12-0
NIACC WOMEN'S SEASON SINGLE-GAME HIGHS
TEAM
Points - 134 vs. Milwaukee Area Tech (11-10-17)
3-point goals - 26 vs. Dakota College-Bottineau (12-9-17)
Rebounds - 65 vs. Riverland CC (11-21-17)
Assists - 33 vs. Milwaukee Area Tech (11-10-17)
Steals - 29 vs. Harper College (11-11-17)
INDIVIDUAL
Points - 31, Taylor Laabs vs. Iowa Western (11-18-17)
3-point goals - 7, Shayley Vesel vs. Dakota College-Bottineau (12-9-17)
Rebounds - 16, Khalilah Holloway vs. Northeast CC (12-1-17)
Assists - 8, Taylor Laabs vs. Dakota College-Bottineau (12-9-17)
Steals - 9, Kelsie Willert vs. Kalamazoo Valley CC (12-28-17)
