Thursday March 21st Local Sports
TODAY:
AM-1300 KGLO — NCAA Men’s Basketball First Round — 10:00 AM
AM-1300 KGLO, kgloam.com — NIACC women — National Tournament 5th Place bracket semifinal vs. Pima (Arizona) — pre-game 2:45, tipoff 3:00
HARRISON, ARKANSAS — A fourth quarter rally came up short last night for the NIACC women’s basketball team as they fell to Cape Fear Community College of North Carolina 116-105 in the NJCAA Division II national quarterfinals, as you heard on AM-1300 KGLO and kgloam.com. The 221 total points scored by both teams is a Division II national tournament game record, while the 116 points by Cape Fear is a single-game tournament record. Cape Fear jumped out to a 32-21 lead after the first quarter and led 63-48 at the half. NIACC outscored Cape Fear 57-53 in the second half but saw its 16-game winning streak come to an end. NIACC head coach Todd Ciochetto says his team didn’t quit, but at the same time they didn’t buckle down and do the little things.
Jada Buford had 34 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter while Mandy Willems battled through a knee injury to add 13 points.
The Lady Trojans also got 21 points and 12 rebounds from Autam Mendez as well as 16 points from Kelcie Hale. NIACC turns right around and faces Pima College of Arizona in the 5th place bracket semifinal this afternoon, and Ciochetto says his team will be ready for another tough challenge.
Pima fell to Kansas City Kansas Community College 82-68 in the other quarterfinal round game played on Wednesday. You can hear the NIACC-Pima game on AM-1300 KGLO and kgloam.com starting with the pre-game at 2:45 this afternoon, with the tipoff scheduled for 3 o’clock.
== Wednesday first round games
Lackawanna (Pennsylvania) 93, Moraine Valley (Illinois) 92
Sinclair (Ohio) 74, Niagara County (New York) 73
== Thursday’s quarterfinals
6:00 — Illinois Central vs. Union County (New Jersey)
8:00 — Lackawanna vs. Sinclair
DES MOINES — The first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts today, with Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines being one of the host sites for first and second round games. Three Big Ten teams will be playing in Des Moines today:
=== Minnesota coach Richard Pitino says he is more focused on Louisville as an opponent and not his family history. The Gophers at the 10 seed in the East Region and play the seventh seeded Cardinals in today’s opening game in Des Moines. It is a Louisville program Pitino’s father, Rick, led from 2001 to 2017.
Pitino says emotion will not be a part of this game for him
Pitino says he was more concerned about how to play against Louisville than his connection to the program.
Tipoff between Minnesota and Louisville is scheduled for 11:15 this morning.
=== Michigan State is seeded second in the East and opens against play against Missouri Valley Tournament champion Bradley in Des Moines. It is the 22nd straight year that Tom Izzo has led the Spartans to the tournament.
Izzo says the three point shot can be the equalizer in the tournament. Three year ago the Spartans lost to Middle Tennessee State as a two seed.
Michigan State and Bradley is the second game of the day session at Wells Fargo Arena, with a tipoff scheduled for about 1:45 this afternoon.
=== For the second straight year Michigan opens the NCAA Tournament against Montana when the teams collide in Des Moines tonight. The Wolverines topped the Grizzlies 61-47 a year ago on the way to an appearance in the national title game. Michigan coach John Beilein says he has enjoyed Des Moines as a venue.
Beilein says last year’s game means nothing this time around.
Tipoff between Michigan and Montana is scheduled for about 8:20 this evening. The other game at Wells Fargo Arena tonight has #10 seed Florida facing #7 seed Nevada.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Iowa Falls native and Kansas alum Nick Collison’s No. 4 jersey was retired by the Oklahoma City Thunder during a ceremony before their game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
It’s the first number the Thunder have retired since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Collison out of Kansas in 2003 and he spent his entire 15-year career with the club.
Collison averaged only 5.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for Seattle/Oklahoma City, but played a key role in developing the team’s Oklahoma City culture and became known as “Mr. Thunder.”
Mayor David Holt declared Wednesday to be “Nick Collison Day” in Oklahoma City.