Council Bluffs, IA. – Iowa Western women's basketball has released its 2018-19 game schedule, which is highlighted by contests against some of the top Division I NJCAA teams in the country.
Overall, the Reivers will face 13 opponents that reached postseason play a season ago, 18 that won 20 plus games and 10 ended the 2017-18 season ranked nationally.
"Our non-conference schedule is extremely challenging and will be the toughest schedule iowa western women's basketball has faced in program history." said head coach Lindsey Vande Hoef. "We will embrace this challenge and our goal will be to rise to the challenge and compete in these games to better prepare us for post-season play this season."
Iowa Western opens the season at home vs. Highland CC of Illinois on November 1st and co-hosts the annual Hampton Inn/Holiday Inn Classic on November 9th and November 10th. They will face Western Nebraska on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Jefferson College on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
The Reivers will then travel to Midland, Texas to participate in the Women's National Invitational Tournament for a 3 game bracket play. The opening game for the team will be on Thursday November 15th vs. Odessa.
Iowa Western will return to Reiver arena for a single game versus Mineral Area on Wednesday November 21st before they are back on the road to take on Cloud County and Butler CC over Thanksgiving break.
During the first two weeks of December, the Reivers will be back in action at home, starting with 11 time NJCAA National Champion Kirkwood CC and Region XIII North Dakota State College of Science. Both programs will help them get ready for the annual Reiver classic on December 7th and 8th where the Reivers will take on national powerhouse New Mexico Junior College on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Labette CC on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
After a short winter break, Iowa Western Women's Basketball will be traveling once again to Region VI for the Hutchinson CC classic where the Reivers will take on perennial power Hutchinson on Friday, December 28th and Barton CC on Saturday, December 29th.
In their final tune-up prior to ICCAC play, Iowa Western hits the road vs Iowa Central, Mineral Area College and Labette CC.
The Reivers produced a 25-5 record in 2017-18 and finished #16 in the nation before the season was ended in the Region XI championship game vs Northeast CC. Iowa Western returns two starters from last season, including 1st team All-Region, NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention and NJCAA All-Star participant Naomie Alnatas. As leading scorer, Alnatas averaged 12.8 points per game as a freshman while knocking down 47 3 – point field goals and shooting 40.2 percent from beyond the arc. The other returning starter, is forward Kiara Dallmann, who was also named to Region XI 1st team All-Region. Dallmann averaged 10.4 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman and finished the 2017-18 season number one in the nation for field goal percentage at 70.9.
Reiver booster club passes may be purchased by visiting the IWCC Athletic Department, located in Kanesville Center on campus of IWCC at 2700 College Road, on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. or by calling 712-325-3418.
Additonal information about Reiver booster passes can be found here http://www.goreivers.com/information/booster or by emailing jfeigenbutz@iwcc.edu
