Eagles Battle to the Wire in Region 11A Championship
Cedar Rapids, IA- With a trip to Hickory, North Carolina hanging in the balance, the #5 Kirkwood Women's Basketball Team battled the #24 DMACC Bears on Monday night inside a packed Johnson Hall in the NJCAA DII Region 11A Tournament Championship. With a win, the Eagles would clinch the automatic bid to the NJCAA DII National Tournament, while DMACC would advance to the North Central District Championship to face Region 13 for its path to nationals.
After four hard-fought quarters, it was DMACC who came away with a 55-51 victory, sending Kirkwood into wait-and-see mode for a potential at-large selection.
Back-and-Forth Battle Early
The two teams traded blows from the opening tip, finishing the first quarter deadlocked at 10-10. Kirkwood found its rhythm in the second quarter, exploding for 21 points while shooting an impressive 62.5% from the field in the period. The Eagles carried a 31-23 lead into halftime, fueled by strong interior play and crisp ball movement.
Erianna Moeschter led the way offensively, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting while adding five rebounds and three assists. Olivia Wren matched her with 10 points and knocked down four free throws while also grabbing three rebounds.
Whitney Sullivan provided a major spark in limited minutes, scoring nine points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting clip and pulling down five rebounds.
Third Quarter Shift
The turning point came in the third quarter. DMACC shot 60% from the floor in the period, outscoring the Eagles 21-11 to shift the momentum heading into the fourth. Kirkwood's offense cooled during the stretch, and the Bears capitalized on turnovers, finishing the game with 28 points off turnovers compared to 19 for the Eagles.
Final Push
Kirkwood continued to battle down the stretch, winning the paint 26-20 and out-rebounding DMACC 30-24. Kaci Crum controlled the glass with a team-high seven rebounds while adding six points. Bra'Ja Torry dished out a team-best six assists and collected four rebounds, impacting the game in multiple ways.
Madison Stowater added five points on 2-of-3 shooting, including a three-pointer, and Claire Hudson chipped in four points off the bench.
Despite holding DMACC to just 26.7% shooting in the fourth quarter, the Eagles couldn't find enough late offense, finishing 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. A final push in the closing minutes came up just short as the Bears secured the Region 11A title.
