Trojans advance to nationals
- Trojans win 2nd straight NJCAA Region 11-B title
- Spotts selected as regional tournament MVP
- Trojans qualify for 11th national tournament
MASON CITY - The NIACC women's basketball team is heading to the national tournament.
Second-seed NIACC topped sixth-seed Northeast CC 69-55 in the NJCAA Region 11-B title game Monday night in the NIACC gym. Sophomore guard Reggi Spotts scored 26 points with nine rebounds, six assists and four steals to lead the Trojans.
With top-seed Kirkwood's loss to fifth-seed DMACC in the NJCAA Region 11-A title game, the Trojans (27-3) earn the region's automatic bid to the NJCAA Division II national tournament as the region's highest remaining seed. The national tournament is set for March 16-21 in Hickory, N.C.
The pairings for the national tournament will be released at 4 p.m. on March 10.
It will be the first trip to the national tournament for the Trojans since 2019. The Trojans qualified for the national tournament in 2020, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Trojans landed three players on the NJCAA Region 11-B all-tournament team. Spotts was the tournament's MVP and freshmen Zaria Falls and Ciara Seifert also were selected to the all-tournament team.
In Monday's regional title game, NIACC trailed 23-20 at the half, but outscored the Hawks 32-22 in the third quarter to take a 52-45 lead. The Trojans outscored the Hawks 17-10 in the final 10 minutes to earn their second straight NJCAA Region 11-B title.
The Trojans topped Ellsworth 72-59 in the 2025 regional title game in Iowa Falls.
NIACC was 4 of 29 from the field in the first half on Monday against the Hawks. The Trojans, however, bounced back and shot 16 of 32 from the field in the second 20 minutes.
Spotts, who scored 30 points in the regional tournament opener against Iowa Western on Saturday, scored 12 points in the first half and 14 points in the second half against Northeast CC. Spotts now has 996 career points.
Also for the Trojans on Monday, Seifert scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with three steals, three blocked shots and two assists. It was Seifert's 14th double/double of the season, including her second of the regional tournament and second this season against Northeast CC.
Falls scored nine points and collected 10 rebounds with two blocked shots. Freshman Peyton Meincke scored 12 points with five rebounds and three assists.
NIACC's Machaela Trask scored five points with three assists, one rebound and one steal.
No. 22 Northeast CC (19-11) was led by sophomore Aaliyah Jones with 20 points and eight rebounds. The Hawks' Aweng Akoi scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Akoi and Ayana Owens were selected to the all-tournament team for the Hawks.
This is the 11th time that the Trojans have qualified for the women's basketball national tournament. The Trojans also qualified in 2020, 2019, 2016, 2014, 1994, 1984, 1983, 1979, 1976 and 1975.
