Article courtesy of The Daily Nonpareil
Council Bluffs, IA
The Iowa Western women's basketball team beat Northeast 78-60 at home Monday night to claim the Region XI championship.
The NJCAA Division I No. 25 Reivers will play Saturday for a chance to compete at the national tournament.
The Reivers dominated in most facets of the game, including dishing out 19 assists to Northeast's three. The Iowa Western bench outscored its counterparts 26-12.
The Reivers led by nine at the half but cranked things up in the second half, taking as large as a 20-point led late in the game. The third quarter proved pivotal, with Iowa Western outscoring Northeast by 10.
"It was a strange feeling, the entire game, even down to the final possessions, it felt way closer than that," Reiver head coach Lindsey Vande Hoef said. "You never want to relax, you never want to get too comfortable. I was really proud of our girls. We fought from beginning to end."
Guard Gabriella Smith led the Reivers with 21 points and six assists, while guard Hayley Berfield scored 17 points and was 5-10 from 3. Guard Dustie Obah scored 16 points off the bench.
Breanna Stouffer led Northeast with 20 points.
Iowa Western will play for the district championship and a spot in the national tournament bracket against Triton out of Illinois at noon Saturday at Reiver Arena.
"I think we need to grow in some areas. It's a quick turnaround, we have to get ready for someone we've never seen before," Vande Hoef. "It's a grind, we're all tired, mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope we have some gas left for Saturday. Hopefully we'll be ready to go."
