- Sophomore Elijah Thomas leads four DMACC players in double figures with 15 points
- Sophomores Victor Desmond and Angelo Winkel score 13 points apiece and freshman Trevian Carson has 10 points
- DMACC shoots 43 percent from the field, including 33 percent from three-point range
Sophomore Elijah Thomas of Surprise, Ariz., scored 15 points as the DMACC men's basketball team dropped an 85-74 decision to Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) February 3 at Estherville.
Sophomores Victor Desmond of Onalaska, Wis., and Angelo Winkel of Algona scored 13 points apiece and freshman Trevian Carson of Des Moines had 10 points as the Bears fell to 21-3 overall and 10-2 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with their first loss since Jan. 6.
The loss cost DMACC sole possession of first place in the ICCAC. The Bears are tied with Kirkwood Community College (KCC) and Ellsworth Community College (ECC) is third at 10-3. ILCC is in fourth place with a 9-3 record.
All four teams are ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll. DMACC is third, ECC is seventh, KCC is eighth and ILCC is 17th. DMACC has completed its season series against ECC and ILCC and will face KCC Feb. 21 at Cedar Rapids.
DMACC and ILCC stayed close through most of the opening half. The Bears had a five-point advantage at 24-19 with just less than 11 minutes remaining in the half before finding themselves in a 32-32 tie with 5 minutes, 36 seconds left. ILCC then used an 8-2 run for a 40-34 lead at halftime.
The second half was much the same way with a tip-in by Thomas getting DMACC within four at 48-44 with 16:15 to play. A 9-2 run over the next two minutes got the Lakers a 57-46 advantage but DMACC fought back and trailed 59-57 on Winkel's layup with 10:30 remaining. It was a 66-64 game at the 7:52 mark when the Lakers went on a 10-0 run to open up a 76-64 lead with 5:15 to play. DMACC got within five at 79-74 with 2:10 left but failed to score the rest of the way as ILCC scored the game's last six points.
DMACC shot 43 percent in the loss, hitting 25 of 85 field goal attempts. The Bears were 8-of-24 from three-point range and 16-of-22 from the free throw line.
ILCC had a 32-27 advantage on the boards with Desmond's eight rebounds leading the Bears. Carson came away with six rebounds and Winkel had five. Desmond led DMACC in assists with two and Thomas and sophomore James Glenn of Altoona had two steals apiece. Carson recorded a pair of blocked shots.
The DMACC men's basketball team will play Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) Feb. 7 at Norfolk, Neb. NECC is 8-12 overall and 3-9 in the ICCAC. DMACC defeated the Hawks 108-70 when the two teams place Jan. 22 inside the DMACC gymnasium.