#4 Indian Hills Claims North Central District Championship and 7th Consecutive Trip to Hutch
(Ottumwa, IA) – Dawson CC (MT) was heading to to a place where no Buccaneer team had ever gone before, Ottumwa, IA. There, they would attempt to get to another place the program had never been. Google maps says it’s 945 miles, which translates to a 14 hour drive. But I don’t think the team from Glendive, MT was going to worry about the travel distance. They were playing for the District Championship and automatic bid to the National Tournament.
Waiting on them in Ottumwa, was the opportunity to take on the #4 ranked Indian Hills Warriors, in their not so friendly confines of the Hellyer Student Center. A place where IHCC doesn’t lose many games, experiencing a perfect 20-0 record at home this season. In fact, over the years, they’ve had many undefeated home seasons.
But the reward for Dawson was high and well worth the journey. For a win would take them to the other place I said they had never been, that being, Hutchinson, KS, the site of the NJCAA National Tournament since 1949.
After losing 4 of 6 games to close out 2019, things seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. The Bucs were eager to turn the calendar over to 2020 I’m sure. And their play since that event has substantiated that claim. They had yet to lose in the new year, winning 17 in a row. However, Indian Hills, had an 11 game win streak of their own, and the aforementioned 20-0 home record to boot. The Hills last loss was back in mid January to Region foe Southeastern CC in W. Burlington, IA, the same team that upset them at the Hellyer Center last March in the Region 11 Championship game.
There were, however, a couple of other streaks Dawson would have to overcome, if they were to make history. Indian Hills had won 12 straight District Playoff games (including the old inter-region games). What’s more, the Warriors have made six consecutive appearances in the National Tournament. That streak started in 2014. Only two storied programs have more than that. Vincennes University (IN), who currently has a seven year streak going, and Moberly Area CC (MO), who accomplished the feat eight times, albeit back in the 1950’s.
The game started out with IHCC hitting their first 4 shots and jumped to a 9-3 lead. But Dawson, averaging 91.9 point per game, who lived and died by the three point shot all season, stayed in the game early as their first five baskets were from behind the arc. A triple from the Bucs CJ Nelson 6 minutes in brought Dawson to within one, at 13-12. But believe it or not, that was a close as it would get. Indian Hills led from the start. No ties, no lead changes.
The next five minutes saw the Warrior’s gradually stretch their margin, and took their first double digit lead at the 8:32 mark when University of Kansas bound Tyon Grant-Foster connected on a trey to put the Warriors up 35-23.
Dawson’s high powered offense, tried to chip away with more three attempts of their own, but to no avail. The Indian Hills lead went to 20 with 1:42 to go in the first half on a Tyrese Nickelson (Freshman Guard) three. And Grant-Foster sent the teams to the locker room when he matched the 20 point lead by hitting a 21 foot first half buzzer beater from right in front of the Buccaneers bench, sending the Warriors up 57-37 at the snack break.
The Buccaneers never really got their potent offense on track, connecting on only 11 of their 38 three-point attempts. Couple that with Indian Hills talented bench, physicality, and suffocating defense, the lead never fell below 20 the rest of the way. The Warriors cruised to a 92-65 victory, and their seventh straight trip to Hutch. The 65 points Indian Hills allowed, was 27 points below the Bucs season average.
In all, Indian HIlls had four players score ten points or more. Led by All-Region 11 performer Tyon Grant-Foster, who had a game high 29 coming off the bench. 17 of those points were tallied in the first twenty minutes as Indian Hills was building their lead. The 6’6″ Sophomore from Kansas City, KS, also contributed 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.
IMalique Jacobs (Sophomore guard transfer from Hutchinson CC) tossed in 14 and passed out 6 assists. Chris Peyton (6’7″ Freshman forward) added 11 and grabbed eight boards. Drake Jefferies (Sophomore guard transfer from Minot State, ND) finished with 10 points. About the only thing the Warriors had difficulty with was FT shooting, going a miserable 13-25 (52%), only 2 of ten after intermission.
Hills took their largest lead at 90-60 with just under two minutes to play on a Grant-Foster bucket. The Warriors dominated almost every category, including having a 53-34 rebound advantage. Sophomore forward JD Muila grabbed 8, which tied him with Payton for game high honors.
Sophomore Man Man Baker was top scorer for he Bucs with 13, while the Bucs leading score, Sophomore Camron Dunfee (14.5 ppg), played his last game in Buccaneer red netting 11.
Dawson ended an excellent season at 27-7, while the Warriors moved to 30-3, and now wait to see where they are seeded, and who and when they will play. Having been ranked in the top ten for most of the season, the Warriors should receive a first round bye, which would make their first game either Tuesday afternoon (March 17) or Wednesday (March 18). The National Tournament Selection Show will be aired live on NjCAATV, Monday, March 9 at 1:00 CT.
