NIACC's Mendez, Morrow earn NJCAA all-American honors
MASON CITY - The NIACC women's basketball team landed a pair of players on the 2020 NJCAA Division II all-American teams on Tuesday.
Sophomore Autam Mendez was a first-team selection and freshman Sierra Morrow was a second-team selection. The duo are the 13th and 14th all-Americans for the NIACC women's basketball program.
Mendez, a 5-10 guard from St. Paul, Minn., is sixth NIACC women's player to earn first-team all-American honors.
It is the second straight year the Lady Trojans have placed a player on the first-team. Mandy Willems was a first-team pick in 2018-19.
It is the second time in school history that the NIACC women have had more than one all-American in the same season. The Lady Trojans had three all-Americans - Chelsey Jacox (first-team), Lateeka Thompson (second-team) and Cortni Rush (third-team) in the 2013-14 season.
Mendez, who was the ICCAC player of the year, averaged 16.9 points per game. She scored a career-high 48 points, including 11 3-point goals, against Little Priest Tribal College on Feb. 26.
Mendez, who has committed to San Jose State University, connected on 81 3-point goals with 245 rebounds, 64 steals and 55 assists.
Mendez ranks third on the school's career scoring list with 1,045 points, third on the school's career 3-point list with 164 and ranks third on the school's career rebounding list with 538.
She helped guide NIACC (32-1) to a perfect regular season in the ICCAC with a 16-0 record. Mendez and the NIACC sophomores never lost a game on their home court as they were 31-0 at home in the last two seasons - 15-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2019-20.
In her final game as a Lady Trojan, Mendez recorded her 12th double/double of the season and 20th of her career with 11 points and 14 rebounds in the NJCAA Region XI title win over rival Kirkwood.
She is the only player in school history with 1,000 career points, 500 career rebounds and 100 career 3-point goals.
Morrow, a 6-2 freshman from Minneapolis, was the ICCAC defensive player of the year.
Morrow averaged 15.6 points per game and ranked second in NJCAA Division II with a school-record 153 blocked shots.
Morrow recorded 10 double/doubles in her freshman campaign, which included two triple-doubles - 23 points/12 rebounds/13 blocked shots against Marshalltown CC and 29 points/17 rebounds/12 blocked shots against Lincoln Land CC.
Morrow, who was the ICCAC defensive player of the year, led the Lady Trojans with 257 rebounds, which ranks ninth on the school's single-season list.
Morrow scored 499 points in her freshman campaign, which ranks 14th on the school's single-season list.
Kirkwood sophomore Paige Bradford was also a second-team all-American selection.
