- Sophomore Chloe Costello leads DMACC with 26 points
- Freshmen Jordan Valley and Mariam Omran and sophomore Whitney Jensen also score in double figures
- DMACC runs winning streak to six consecutive games
Sophomore Chloe Costello of Northwood scored a game-high 26 points to lead the DMACC women's basketball team to a 68-63 upset of Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) February 7 at Estherville.
Freshmen Jordan Valley of Waverly and Mariam Omran of Giza, Egypt and sophomore Whitney Jensen of Remsen also scored in double figures with 11, 10 and 10 points respectively as the Bears improved to 19-6 overall and 11-6 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with their six consecutive victory.
ILCC, ranked 17th in the most recent Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), fell 17-7 and 13-4. The Lakers, led by Tavara Swonger's 14 points, defeated DMACC 69-61 when the two teams played Dec. inside the DMACC gymnasium.
DMACC led most of the way in evening its season series with the Lakers at 1-1. The Bears used 12-0 run to open up a 19-7 advantage and led 22-17 at the end of the first quarter. DMACC was up 29-23 late in the second period before an 8-1 run gave the Lakers their only lead of the game at 31-30 with just 1 minute, 24 seconds remaining in the half. Jensen's three-pointer with 14 seconds left in the half put the Bears up 33-31 at intermission.
The two teams were never separated by more than three points in the third quarter until a 10-2 DMACC run, capped by Omran's layup, gave the Bears a 45-36 lead with 2:39 remaining in the quarter. DMACC led 52-42 at the end of the period and pushed its advantage to 60-44 with 7:27 to play. A late flurry got ILCC within one at 64-63 with 2:10 left but the Bears' defense held the Lakers scoreless the rest of the way and Jensen and Costello rescued DMACC with two free throws apiece to preserve the win.
DMACC shot 39 percent from the field, hitting 20 of 51 field goal attempts. The Bears were 9-of-19 from three-point range and 19-of-28 at the free throw line.
ILCC made 21 of 63 field goal attempts for 33 percent. The Lakers shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, hitting six of 12 attempts. They also shot 50 percent from the free throw line, connecting on 15 of 30 attempts.
Both teams had 36 rebounds with Jensen's eight rebounds and seven from Omran leading the Bears. Costello, sophomore Aunasia Dunn of Kansas City, Mo., and freshman Brooklyn Valley of Waverly led DMACC in assists with two apiece and Jordan Valley had a team-leading five steals.
The DMACC women's basketball team will face ninth-ranked North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Feb. 11 inside the DMACC gymnasium. NIACC is 21-2 overall and 15-2 in the ICCAC. The Trojans defeated the Bears 62-58 when the two teams played Jan. 7 at Mason City.