The nationally ranked No. 6 Reivers had their season come to an end on Sunday, March 12, with a loss at nationally ranked No. 3 Kirkwood in the Region XI Championship.
The Reivers battled their way back from a 19-point deficit at half time in a dominant third quarter, putting up 21 points and holding the eagles to just 7. The Reivers got as close as 44-47 with 9 minutes left to play. Ultimately the Eagles came out on top with a final score of 54-62.
Despite the Reivers national ranking, NJCAA DII does not have any at-large bids to the National Tournament. The Reivers are one of ten top-20 ranked teams that did not win their region tournament, and therefore will not get a bid to the National Tournament. At-large bids are set to begin for the 2023-2024 season.
Three Reivers earned Region XI All-Tournament team honors: Ndidiamaka Ndukwe, Aleshia Jones, and Courtney Fields. Ndidiamaka Ndukwe led the charge for the Reivers in the Championship game, tallying 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes of play.
In her first season at the helm of the program, Head Coach Jillian Flores Bennett led her squad to an impressive 26-5 record. This marks the best record for a head coach in their inaugural season at Iowa Western in program history.
At the completion of the region tournament, the Reivers held top rankings nationally across multiple statistical categories including: 1st for free throws made per game at 17.1, 7th for points per game at 82.7, 7th for 3-point percentage at 34.5%, 11th for field goal percentage at 44%, 13th for rebound margin per game at 12.4, 15th for 3-pointers made per game at 7.8, and 22nd in assists per game at 17.2.
Iowa Western held a national ranking as high as No. 4 this season. The Reivers also broke multiple program team records this season including most 3-pointers made in a season with 241, fewest points allowed to an opponent with 24 against Marshalltown on December 14th, and highest free throw percentage in a season with 75.2%.
Newcomer, Jamyah Winter, will write her name in the history books as a Reiver for breaking the single-game record for most three-pointers made. She made a staggering 8 threes against Marshalltown on January 29, 2022.
Be sure to follow the Iowa Western Women's Basketball team on Facebook, Twitter (@ReiverWBB), and Instagram (@ReiverWBB) for updates!
