Ellsworth's Run Ends in Title Game; Iowa Central, DMACC Take Fourth, Sixth
DANVILLE, Ill. - Three ICCAC teams were selected for the NJCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship as they traveled a state over to battle for the top prize. Ellsworth made the deepest run with a runner-up finish in the national title game, with Iowa Central making the final four and DMACC taking home a sixth-place finish.
DMACC was awarded the top overall seed with an automatic qualification for the Region 11 Tournament-A Championship. Iowa Central earned the No. 5 seed after earning the automatic qualification spot in the North Central District Championship. Ellsworth was selected as the No. 8 seed with an at-large bid.
Ellsworth (National Runner-Up, 3-1):
The Panthers kicked off their tournament with a high-intensity game against South Suburban (Ill.), which came down to free throws. After Ellsworth established a 48-33 lead, the Bulldogs clawed back into the game, but the Panthers were led by Jayden Pretty, who scored 23 points off the bench, 12 of them in the second half, to secure an 89-84 win.
The win set up a rematch with a familiar opponent, No. 1 DMACC. After falling to the Bears twice in the regular season, the Panthers proved it is hard to beat a team three times. Ellsworth shot 49% from the field and 47% from 3-point range, with Pretty leading the scorers once again with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tanner Berggren had a big day with 18 points, shooting 4 of 8 from deep.
In the Final Four, the Panthers faced conference opponent Iowa Central, a team that had beaten them three times. Ellsworth fell behind by three in the first four minutes but kept battling, taking the lead at 22-21 and never looking back. They extended their lead to 42-31 and held on for an 85-70 win to set up the national championship game against Parkland (Ill.). Jonovan Wilkinson was clinical against the Tritons, going 5 of 6 from the field for 18 points and making all seven of his free-throw attempts.
Facing Parkland (Ill.), the Panthers fell behind 35-28 in the first half. They built momentum in their favor, taking the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining following a big 3-pointer from Alex Charlotin. Charlotin scored 14 second-half points, but the Panthers were unable to overcome the deficit as Parkland continued to find ways to score, with Ellsworth finishing as runner-up in a 76-68 game. Eesher Singh Sarai had a big performance with 15 points and 15 rebounds against Parkland.
Game Results:
Round 2: #8 Ellsworth def. #9 South Suburban, 89-84 - Box Score
Quarterfinals: #8 Ellsworth def. #1 DMACC, 86-69 - Box Score
Semifinals: #8 Ellsworth def. #5 Iowa Central, 85-70 - Box Score
Final: #11 Parkland def. #8 Ellsworth, 76-68 - Box Score
Iowa Central (4th, 2-2):
he Tritons cruised to a win over Schoolcraft (Mich.) in their opening game of the tournament, winning 69-50. Aleix Sempere dominated in the paint with 22 points and 15 rebounds, going 9 of 9 from the field. Jalen Wynter also reached double figures with 16 points, including five 3-pointers.
In the next round, Iowa Central faced off against the top offense in the NJCAA, the Pima Aztecs (Ariz.). Averaging 104 points per game, the Tritons stifled the Aztecs and held them to 77 points, with Tashun Pender scoring the go-ahead basket for the Tritons to win 78-77. Jordan Cain dominated the matchup with 25 points and three steals. Pender was also a dominant force with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Onto the Final Four, Iowa Central faced a familiar conference foe, the Ellsworth Panthers, for a fourth time this season. Despite a double-double from Pender and a 20-point performance from CJ Mitchell, it was not enough as the Tritons fell 85-70 and were sent to the third-place game.
The Danville Area Jaguars, the tournament hosts, were Iowa Central's opponent, and the Tritons were unable to overcome the home-court advantage in a 75-63 loss. The loss secured fourth place for the Tritons at the national tournament, capping off an incredible 28-8 season in which they were Region 11-B and North Central District champions.
Game Results:
Round 2: #5 Iowa Central def. #12 Schoolcraft, 69-50 - Box Score
Quarterfinals: #5 Iowa Central def. #4 Pima, 78-77 - Box Score
Semifinals: #8 Ellsworth def. #5 Iowa Central, 85-70 - Box Score
Third Place: #7 Danville Area def. #5 Iowa Central, 75-63 - Box Score
DMACC (6th, 2-2):
With an upset-minded No. 17 Lansing (Mich.) as their first opponent, the Bears held onto a five-point halftime lead to win 95-90. Off the bench, Rylan Smith led the team in scoring with 17 points. Kaden Tate posted a double-double with 13 points and rebounds. Smith and Brent Taylor made clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the win for the Bears.
After a perfect 20-0 season in conference play, the Bears went into the quarterfinals with conference opponent Ellsworth waiting for them. DMACC caught the Panthers on a bad day and fell 86-69 in their third meeting of the season. The Bears were led that day by Malcolm Bragg, who scored 18 points with five rebounds and four assists.
Knocked into the consolation rounds, the Bears dominated the Milwaukee Area Stormers in a 90-68 win. All five DMACC starters scored in double figures; Smith, off the bench, led the Bears with 17 points, while Tate recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
In the fifth-place game, DMACC faced the No. 1 offense in the NJCAA. Behind 12 and 10 points from Hunter Gawron and Taylor in the first half, the Bears held a 47-45 lead at halftime over the Pima Aztecs (Ariz.). In the second half, the Aztecs came out red-hot, shooting 58% from the field, as DMACC fell 98-81. The Bears finished sixth at the national tournament, capping off a historic season with a 33-3 record and a promising future following strong performances from their freshmen.
Game Results:
Round 2: #1 DMACC def. #17 Lansing, 95-90 - Box Score
Quarterfinals: #8 Ellsworth def. #1 DMACC, 86-69 - Box Score
Consolation: #1 DMACC def. #3 Milwaukee Area, 90-68 - Box Score
Fifth Place: #4 Pima def. #1 DMACC, 98-81 - Box Score